


Don't Leave Me (Please Let Me Go)

by orphan_account



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Dynamic Stereotypes, Flashbacks, Gen, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, OOC, Omega Verse, Pack Dynamics, Violence, injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-13 20:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5715919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Omegaverse AU. A summer day of flashing eyes and a whispered demand. The beginning of an end, an infinity, finds Tetsuya crossing the threshold of Seirin Academy where he discovers that his Dynamic didn’t define him and neither does his past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this AU! I apologize for any mistakes, spelling errors, grammatical errors, or culture inaccuracies I may make. Please let me know so I can correct them, and so that I don’t offend anyone who reads this. 
> 
> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.

_One_

The spring air was crisp as he walked the grounds of Seirin High on the first day. Voices echoed around him, calling to the new students excitedly, and encouraging potential club members. Tetsuya ignored all of them, taking advantage of his low presence to slip easily through the crowd, until he got to the Basketball stand. The two sitting there, a boy and girl respectively, hadn’t noticed Tetsuya as he scribbled out an application form. They were speaking of the Generation of Miracles, wishing one of them would be able to attend their no-name school.

“It’s unlikely,” the boy said. Tetsuya took note that both the male and female were Alphas, given how strong their scents were. “The Generation of Miracles would go to some well-known school for Basketball. Not here.”

The girl pouted and sighed, resting her head down on the table. “Honestly, Hyūga, why are you ruining my daydreams?”

Hyūga rolled his eyes, and Tetsuya cleared his throat, gaining their attention. The second-year Alphas’ reaction were expected – they both jumped and shrieked from being startled at his sudden appearance (even though he’s been there the entire time). The girl blinked as she saw the filled out form in his hands and gave him a warm smile.

“Ah, sorry, you scared us. I’m Aida Riko, the coach.” the girl said. “Please, sit…uh…”

“Kuroko Tetsuya. I apologize for scaring you, I have what is known to be a low presence.” Tetsuya said, giving a little bow to his upperclassmen. He sat and watched as the girl got him a beverage. He didn’t think it was weird that she was the coach of the team – after all, Momoi and Akashi practically ran the basketball club at Teiko, and their coach gave them the reigns since all the man cared about was their winning streak.

Hyūga looked at him and explained, “Our school just opened a few years ago so our basketball club is fairly new, and the upperclassmen are only second years, like me. I’m Hyūga Junpei, the captain of the basketball team. Have you played basketball before?”

“I have,” Tetsuya said, nodding. “But…due to an injury a while ago, I cannot play anymore. Though I’d still like to be on the team—as a manager, maybe?”

Aida gave him an unfathomable look—he could see the pity reflecting in her eyes, as well as a few other emotions. She smiled warmly at him. “That’s fine. We don’t have a manager since most assume I’m the manager, and therefore, they don’t sign up.”

“If you don’t mind, may I ask what sort of injury happened?” Hyūga inquired politely.

Images flickered over Tetsuya’s eyes. A sadistic, cruel smirk. Chilling laughter echoing in his ears. Dark, smoldering eyes staring him down, reveling in his agony. Tetsuya blinked, showing no emotion whatsoever, and said, in his normal monotone, flat voice, “An old teammate who was kicked off the team in my second year decided to get revenge and targeted me when I least expected it.”

Aida and Hyūga’s eyes widened.

“Did he get caught?” Aida questioned, concern evident in her tone as she remembered Kiyoshi and those late night hospital visits. Hyūga unconsciously clenched his fists at the revelation of another bastard harming another player and getting away with it.

Tetsuya shook his head negatively. “No.”

_“Now, this will be our little secret, ne? You tell Akashi nothing of this, and I won’t kill you.”_

Aida glanced down at his application and her eyes widened almost impossibly as she read the middle school he attended. “Y-You attended T-T-Teikō Middle?!”  She stammered excitedly, looking up. However, the blunette first year had vanished. Soon, a tall figure loomed over them in the form of Kagami Taiga, and all thoughts of Kuroko Tetsuya had vanished.

The day passed by slowly with people getting scared from his mere presence. Tetsuya was used to it, of course. He had been born with this low presence and, most likely, it would never go away. He was unsure if he should change out of his uniform since he was a manager but decided to anyway since he was going to a sports club. He grabbed a notebook and pen so that he could take notes on the players and the training regimen Aida put them through. He’d have to ask Momoi what the duties of a manager entailed.

Tetsuya entered the gym before the other first years and tapped on Aida’s shoulder to gather her attention. She shrieked again, whirling around to face him. “Honestly, Kuroko, you’re going to give me a heart attack at an early age,” she complained.

“Sorry,” Tetsuya apologized.

Aida waved him off. “It’s fine. I’ll just have to get used to you.” The coach turned her attention to the stretching second years. “Boys! Come over here!”

Within a minute, Tetsuya was crowded around the taller second years. They were a mix of Alphas and Betas. That was common since not many Omegas chose to go into sports.

“Boys, this is Kuroko Tetsuya. He’s our newly appointed manager,” Aida introduced. Tetsuya gave a bow and a shy wave. “Kuroko, this is Izuki Shun, our point guard; Mitobe Rinnosuke, our center; Koganei Shinji, our forward; Tsuchida Satoshi, our power forward; and you already know Hyūga, he’s also our shooting guard besides being our captain.”

Hyūga, Mitobe, and Tsuchida were the Alphas of the team besides Aida, and the Betas were Izuki and Koganei.

_“Ne – have you heard? Midorima presented yesterday.”_

_“Really? What is he?”_

_“An Alpha, of course. As is expected with the Generation of Miracles.”_

“Um, Aida-san?” Tetsuya looked to the captain. “I’m new to the manager thing. What would you like for me to do?”

Aida hummed, pensive. “I’m a bit unsure myself since you’re the first manager we’ve had. Besides the obvious things such as laundry, you could help me out with individual training regimes and meal plans for the players. We’ll think of thing as we go along, okay?”

“Okay,” Tetsuya agreed to the idea. He was already planning on the training regimen thing. Aida ordered the second years to continue stretching right as the first years started to stroll inside of the gym. Tetsuya sat down on a chair that Mitobe offered him, and took careful notes once the practice had begun. There was only one Omega in the midst, a first year named Furihata Kōki. Kagami Taiga and Fukuda Hiroshi were both Alphas while Kawahara Kōichi was a Beta. Tetsuya couldn’t remember the names of the other first years that showed up to tryouts but they were a mix of the Alpha-Beta ratio.

During break, Mitobe was peering at him with inquisitive eyes. Tetsuya blinked as the second-year tried to communicate with him with his eyebrows. Even using context clues, Tetsuya wasn’t sure what the Alpha wanted to ask him.

“Oh, he wants to know what you’re writing in that notebook, Kuroko-chan,” Koganei told him, translating effortlessly.

Tetsuya could feel his eye twitch at the suffix added at his name. Sure, –chan was mostly used for females but it was also attached to the end of an Omega’s name. Sometimes, Tetsuya would forget that he presented as an Omega during Golden Week of his first year at Teikō. Honestly, primary genders were so exhausting sometimes.

 “I’m recording information on the players,” Tetsuya informed Mitobe.

“Ooh, really? What do you have gathered?” Aida asked as she drifted over, overhearing his explanation. Tetsuya acquiesced to her demand and handed the Alpha his notebook. He already had eight detailed pages on majority of the players he’d seen in action ever since practice had begun. Aida’s mouth began to droop as she looked at his notes, which also included pictures and suggestions. “Kuroko-chan…this is…you did all this in so little time?”

“I am very observant,” came the nonchalant reply.

“No kidding!” Aida exclaimed. “How were you able to tell that Tsuchida favors his left leg too heavily?”

Said Alpha blinked in surprise. “You were able to see that?”

“Like I said,” Tetsuya said, gently taking his notebook back. “I am observant of those around me.”

“Um…” Furihata mutters from where he is, blinking slowly in Tetsuya’s direction. “Sorry, but who are you?”

“Oh! This is Kuroko Tetsuya,” Aida said with her normal grin. “He’s our manager.”

‘Hello’s’ and ‘Pleased to meet you’s’ rang throughout the gym. Aida shoed away the curious eyes with a sharp, “Back to your drills!”

Once practice had ended, Aida pulled a promise from Tetsuya to look up other schools participating in the Inter-High, as well as try to figure out the other high schools the Generation of Miracles chose to attend, and come up with a training regimen for the first years. He made his way to Maji Burger, ordered a milkshake, and sat down at a table. Tetsuya looked at his notes and made minor details and corrections, before he heard the sounds of someone choking in front of him. He glanced up to see Kagami staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“When did you – how did you – where were you – ?!”  Kagami spluttered.

Tetsuya blinked before taking a sip of his milkshake. “I have always been at this table. You were the one who sat here instead.”

The Alpha glared at him and growled intimidatingly, “Go somewhere else.”

How endearing. He had nothing on Akashi. Tetsuya blinked. “No.”

Kagami grumbled but unwrapped one of his burgers, taking a bite out of it. Tetsuya continued sip at his milkshake and look over his notes.

_Heterochromatic eyes peered at him. “Tetsuya, you will come with me to Rakuzan.”_

Tetsuya blinked at the voice suddenly entering his mind, a memory of summer heat and singing cicadas. He took a gulp of his milkshake and drowned out the voice of Akashi Seijūrō. 

“Say,” Kagami began. “Who are these Generation of Miracles?”

Tetsuya looked at Kagami, surprised at the sudden question, but explained, “They’re five prodigious basketball players from the elite school Teikō. I was teammates with them.”

“Why aren’t you playing basketball?” questioned Kagami as he took another bite of his burger.

“I was injured,” Tetsuya responded, looking down at the table in front of him as he remembered the agony, the fear, the helplessness of that day. “I cannot play basketball anymore.”

“Oh,” Kagami muttered. An awkward silence settled around their table.

Tetsuya hummed. His phone buzzed with an incoming text. It was from his old teammate, Kise Ryouta.

_From: Kise-kun_

_Subj: Kurokocchi!!!_

_Kurokocchi!! Where did you go?!? You just disappeared all of a sudden, and you didn’t come to Rakuzan like Akashicchi wanted…is everything okay??? Do you need our help??? Txt me back, we should meet up!!_

Tetsuya closed his phone without responding. He notice that it was almost nine at night. He stood, gathering Kagami’s attention. “Sorry, but I must go home now,” Tetsuya said. “See you at morning practice, Kagami-kun.”

He made short work exiting the restaurant, and walked the familiar path to his home. His home was silent as usual and empty as his parents were in France for a business meeting. It was usual. It was normal. Sometimes, the Kuroko’s forgot they had a child. Tetsuya sighed as he shrugged off his bag and set his notebook down on his desk.  He was still pondering over if it was worth it to bother Momoi with advice. His phone buzzed with an incoming call. Remembering the rules his ex-captain had set during their Teikō days, Tetsuya didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Kuroko Tetsuya speaking,” he said in a polite, questioning tone. “May I ask who this is?”

“….T-Tetsuya?” someone replied, hesitant.

Tetsuya’s eyes widened as he breathed out, “…O-Ogiwara-kun.”

“How many times must I tell you to call me Shigehiro, Tet-chan?” he responded. “H-How was your first day of high school?”

“It was alright,” Tetsuya said. “I…I became the manager of the basketball team.”

“That’s great,” Ogiwara said. Tetsuya could picture him beaming. “I…I also decided to rejoin basketball.”

A ball formed in Tetsuya’s throat. Silent tears began to wet his cheeks. After that devastating match in their third year, Tetsuya was terrified that Ogiwara would never step foot in another basketball court again. “That’s…that’s amazing, Ogiwara-kun,” Tetsuya replied. He wasn’t exclaiming and his monotone voice didn’t allow for emotion to seep into his words, but his childhood best friend knew what he was trying to convoy.

“Has anyone bugged you?” Ogiwara questioned in a serious tone. “My ex-captain scent marked me before school but I still got looks from a couple Alphas.”

“Even with my scent, Ogiwara-kun, I had an extremely low presence,” Tetsuya told him in a familiar blunt way. “It is near impossible for one to notice me in crowded hallways.”

“It wasn’t like that in Teiko,” Ogiwara replied, remembering the Generation of Miracles and the redhead who seemed to be hyperaware of the shadow at all times.

A brief scowl hovered over his face before impassiveness settled in deeper, taking over the brief show in emotion. “Akashi-kun was – _is_ different,” Tetsuya said but didn’t elaborate.  In the background, someone called Ogiwara’s name, chattering about the time, miso soup, and uniforms.

“I have to go now,” Ogiwara responded. “My dad’s bugging me.”

“It’s okay,” Tetsuya assured before Ogiwara hung up the phone with a promise of “call you tomorrow”. He looked down at his phone, biting his lip, before texting Momoi about the duties of a manager. Awaiting her answer, he laid on his bed, closing his eyes.

_Tetsuya is attacked by a blur of pink. Staggering, he regains his balance.  His heart is thumping wildly underneath his chest, beating his ribcage. Although he understood that Momoi meant no harm, she really needed to stop hugging him so unexpectedly, especially since she had already presented into an Alpha and such an act could be seen as harassment. Luckily, Midorima had sense enough to chide her._

_“Momoi-san,” the first year said reproaching. “You must ask to hug Kuroko-chan first, that is the proper Alpha-Omega etiquette less you want someone to get the wrong idea and assume you’re assaulting him.”_

_Gasping in horror, Momoi releases Tetsuya from her death grip and peered at him tearfully. “I’m so sorry, Tetsu-chan,” Momoi sniffled. “I keep forgetting. All these rules are annoying!”_

_Tetsuya blinked before turning back to the mystery novel he was reading. Momoi was lamenting over how she could barely hug “her Tetsu-chan” now due to the fact that she had presented as an Alpha. Aomine was rolling his eyes at the managers’ antics, Midorima was sighing, and Murasakibara was chewing on some chips. Tetsuya swallowed the sigh that wanted to emerge from his mouth. They were all on the roof, waiting for Akashi’s student council meeting to end so that they could eat lunch._

_Only Momoi, Akashi, and Tetsuya had presented. The two Alphas were very aware of Tetsuya’s presence, and began to get overprotective tendencies towards him (though one might say that Akashi was leaning more towards the possessive route than Momoi). Tetsuya remembered the day he came to school an Omega. He was catching attention from Alphas who had keener senses than most_ _—Haizaki Shōgo being one of them. The gray-haired, violent, basketball player trailed after Tetsuya like a lost puppy. It would’ve been endearing if he hadn’t of said such perverted phrases whenever Tetsuya was in hearing range._

_The incidents weren’t known to anyone until Tetsuya joined first string of the basketball team, and Haizaki grew bold, wrapping his arm around Tetsuya’s waist. After that, Akashi, Nijimura, and Momoi made sure that the violent teen was nowhere near him._

_“Are you alright, Kuro-chin?” Murasakibara questioned the smaller teen. “You’re being too quiet.”_

_“I’m fine, Murasakibara-kun,” Tetsuya replied as he unwrapped his bento. In a small bout of insightfulness, his mother prepared it for him that morning, taking the time to teach him the art of making a perfect bento. “I’m just lost in thought.”_

_Footsteps made their way up the steps leading to the roof. Soon, Akashi’s silhouette and vibrant hair could be seen as he ambled in their direction. Tetsuya noticed him first, as always, but it was Murasakibara who called to him._

_“Aka-chin,” the purple-haired giant greeted in his lethargic way of speech._

_“Akashi-kun,” Tetsuya dutifully greeted in his monotone voice. Sparingly, Akashi sent the Omega a rare smile. Fleeting that it was, it made Tetsuya drop his eyes down to his onigiri._

_“Akashi.”_

_“Aka-kun!”_

_Midorima chose to nod his head in their silently appointed leaders’ direction._

_As usual, Tetsuya found himself sandwiched between Akashi and Momoi. He opened his bento and began to eat an adequate (in his perception) amount of his bento. As usual, his mother prepared a bit too much for his small stomach to consume. Momoi engaged in an enthusiastic conversation over the latest Idol magazine with Aomine, Midorima was explaining his lucky item to Murasakibara (it was a soft blue dragon plushie), and Akashi was contently eating his lunch whilst brushing his fingers against Tetsuya’s arm._

_It was a show of possession._

_Tetsuya didn’t bother showing his annoyance at the fingers touching him. He was used to it, after all, even if etiquette demanded otherwise. With the amount of time the two Alphas put into scent marking him, especially when Haizaki was around, one would think they were a threesome._

_His bento was barely halfway finished with when he set his chopsticks down._

_“You’re finished already, Tetsu?” Aomine questioned, looking at his bento with disbelief ringing in his eyes._

_“Yes,” Tetsuya responded._

_“That won’t do,” came the silky tones of Akashi. “I insist you eat more, Tetsuya. That amount isn’t enough to sustain a growing Omega.”_

_“I am full,” Tetsuya, stubbornly, said._

_The others, except for Momoi, wouldn’t notice the change but they could feel the tension settling around them, waiting to strike with efficiency. Momoi shivered quietly beside him. The strong Alpha waves exuding from Akashi were making him want to whimper and succumb like his nature dictates. Well. He wasn’t one to listen to his instincts anyway._

_“Tetsu-chan,” Momoi said, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly. “You should eat more – what if you collapse because you didn’t get enough nutrients!?”_

_“Kuro-chin is too skinny,” Murasakibara added in an innocent but unhelpful way._

_“Hmph,” Midorima muttered. “Oha-Asa declared that Aquarius should include more sufficient nutrients in their diet from now on. A supplementary meal plan is advised.”_

_Tetsuya gave a sigh. “I am not_ _—,”_

_“Tetsuya,” Akashi growled. His pheromones wrapped around Tetsuya’s nose and made him dizzy, made him want to bend and whimper and kneel. “You will eat.”_

_His limbs moved before he did. He began to chew on some of his curry and rice obediently under the stern eye of Akashi Seijūrō. A crisis averted, somewhat, the others settled into a stifled conversation as they waited for lunch to pass. Something churned in Tetsuya’s stomach as he swallowed his food mechanically. The food tasted like ash on his tongue and burned like alcohol as it sloshed down his throat. He wanted to cry but he made sure he looked unaffected, emotionless, when Akashi used his Voice. His Command. Used his Alpha dynamic to force Tetsuya to do something he hadn’t wanted to._

_The food was lead in his stomach, an iron ball. It wasn’t the first time Akashi used his Command on him, and it wouldn’t be the last. The bell rang overhead as Tetsuya managed to scrape the last bits of his bento down his throat. Akashi stood, grabbing his hand gently to help him to his feet. It was only natural, after all, since they were in the same class._

_“Come Tetsuya,” Akashi said, as if nothing had happened._

_Like usual, like always, Tetsuya swallowed the anger that curled up his throat and obeyed._

His phone rang, a pierce cutting through the silence. His mind was still grasping at the fleeting memory, Tetsuya groggily groped for his phone. Once the device was in his hands, he answered without looking at the caller ID. Perhaps if he had, it would’ve saved him the headache that was bound to occur when faced with Momoi Satsuki.

“Tetsu-chan!” the Alpha shouted into the phone. “Why’re you asking about manager things? Is your new school not allowing Omega players on the team?! That’s discrimination, Tetsu-chan, you should’ve looked at the policies regarding the high school before applying—,”

“Momoi-san,” Tetsuya said over her overprotective tirade. “My school does allow Omegas to participate in sports, however—,”

“—and _what_ school are you attending, Tetsu-chan!? Aka-kun was really disappointed that you disobeyed him so blatantly after Graduation, pulling such a disappearing act on us!” Momoi plowed onwards. Tetsuya fell silent, knowing that nothing he’d say would get through to her until she was completely finished. “I thought Tetsu-chan was hurt or threatened and – and – and – !”

Aomine could be heard in the background. _“Satsuki! What are blabbering about? You’re making Sakurai nervous.”_

_“S-Sorry!” whimpered another. “I’m sorry for being nervous.”_

_“Stop apologizing!”_

_“Sorry, Aomine-kun!”_

“Tetsu-chan,” Momoi continued in a serious voice that made Tetsuya tense instinctively. “What school are you attending?”

He didn’t want to let the Alpha know. Because once Momoi knew something of importance, she would report it to the leader of their small pack of seven. She’d tell Akashi, and the Alpha was the one Tetsuya was currently hiding from. He sighed. All he wanted was information, not an interrogation.

_“Eh? You’re speaking to Tetsu? Give me the phone, Satsuki!”_

“No, Dai-chan!” Momoi griped at the other Alpha. “I’m trying to find out Tetsu-chan’s high school. You’ll scare him away with your asshole tendencies, _Aho_ mine!”

_“What – what did you – stop calling me by that stupid nickname!”_

“It isn’t polite to yell at ladies, Dai-chan!” Momoi snapped. “You’re being an unpleasant brute!”

_“Unpleasant my ass! Give me the phone!”_

“No!”

_“Satsuki.”_

“Dai-chan.”

Tetsuya sighed inaudibly. Momoi and Aomine were squabbling in the background. He wouldn’t get any answers out of Momoi tonight.


	2. Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.

_Two_

Morning practice dawned bright and early for Tetsuya as he entered the gym. Aida and Hyūga were already in the gym, speaking to one another over a clipboard. Although he hadn’t done something this deliberate since Teikō, Tetsuya unleashed his scent subtly. He made sure the unique smell of Omega reached the Alpha’s nose, taking note of how their nostrils flared, before ambling towards him.

“Kuroko-chan!” Aida greeted, the first to notice him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Coach, Captain,” Tetsuya greeted softly. Momoi and Aomine kept him up until midnight as they badgered him with questions over the school he chose ( _“Fucking hell, Tetsu, why are you being so stiff about this? Give us the name of the school!” “Dai-chan, stop screaming at Tetsu-chan! And what your language around his delicate ears! Ugh, no wonder you’re Ahomine!” “Stop calling me that horrid nickname, you overbearing woman!” “Dai-chan. Go die.”_ ). He hung up on them mid-fight, once their shrieks had turned into imagining him in their school uniform. “How did you sleep?”

“I slept well,” Aida replied but frowned subtly at the dark circles underneath her kohai’s eyes. “Did you sleep alright?”

“I suppose,” Tetsuya said but chose not to elaborate.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Hyūga asked, “Did you happen to find anything on the Generation of Miracles?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said. “Aomine-kun attends Tōō, Murasakibara-kun attends Yōsen, Midorima-kun goes to Shūtoku, Kise-kun is at Kaijō, and Akashi-kun is at Rakuzan.”

Aida whistled. “How did you figure that out so fast, Kuroko-chan?”

“I was a part of Teikō’s first string before my injury,” Tetsuya explained. “I specialized in passes, known as the Phantom Sixth Man because of my low presence. The Generation of Miracles knew the school they were to attend at the beginning of our third year.”

The two second years’ stared at him.

Hesitantly, Aida asked, “Kuroko-chan…were you close with them?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said. He saw no harm in informing them. “We were a pack.”

His seniors’ sharp eyes caught the past tense. “Were?” inquired Aida with shrewd but soft eyes.

Tetsuya looked at his feet. “I am uncertain if what we are is still considered a pack.”

_The bonds are unraveling. What will become of us now?_

The first years arrived for the second day of tryouts, though there was considerably less players than when they’d begun yesterday. Tetsuya opened his notebook to a new page and uncapped his pen; he wanted to get a good analysis of the incoming participants so he could create a sufficient enough training regimen for the first years until a practice match came about, and he got to see them in action. He made detailed notes for the first thirty minutes of practice until Coach called for a break and all the basketball players slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

Hiding a smile, Tetsuya reviewed what he’d written until some whispers reached his ears.

 _“Ne, ne, don’t you think the manager is cute?”_ whispered one of the remaining first years.

 _“He sure is_ _—he’s so small but I bet he’s a freak when it counts,”_ murmured the other.

Tetsuya restrained from punching the obnoxious, perverted Alphas in the face with a well-deserved Ignite Pass. He knew from dealing with Aomine that it caused excruciating pain. Gently sitting in the seat next to him, Furihata Kōki cleared his throat. Tetsuya blinked at him, slightly surprised that the other Omega was able to pinpoint him.

“You okay?” Furihata questioned. “I heard what they said but I’m not one for confrontation.”

“I’m fine,” Tetsuya responded blandly. “It isn’t the first time an Alpha looked at me in such a way.”

“They suck sometimes,” Furihata mumbled before brightening and asking, “So what class are you in, Kuroko-chan?”

“Furihata-chan, we are in the same class,” Tetsuya explained patiently. “I sit next to you.”

Astonishment, guilt, and shame flutter over Furihata’s face as he spluttered, “K-K-Kuroko-chan, I had no idea! I’m so sorry – I honestly didn’t see you! Let me make it up to you!”

Tetsuya blinked at the slightly skittish and apologetic first year but before he could respond, Aida blew her whistle and called for a team huddle.

“Alright, first years! If you wish to be a member of this team, you must hand in your applications to me on the roof, at 8:45 A.M. in six days!”

Exclamations bubbled forth from the first years.

“Six days!”

“Why not now!?”

“So early…”                                                                  

“Oi! Shut it!” Hyūga shouted over the cacophony of Alphas and Betas. Tetsuya took careful note of how Furihata cringed and shrunk into himself as the voices rose. The Captain’s shout made everyone pause and fall silent. “All of you apologize. That was completely disrespectful to your Coach. Whether you agree or not, that gives you no right to yell at her like that.”

Furihata was the first to lament. “S-s-sorry Coach, Captain,” the Omega stammered, bowing politely. “Forgive me.”

Both Aida and Hyūga blinked at the first year.

“Um…Furihata-chan,” Aida piped. “You didn’t say a word so you don’t need to apologize.”

Under the Captains’ stern glower, the first years apologize and bowed before Aida sent them off to the locker rooms.

“You’ve got thirty minutes before first bell!” the Alpha yelled after their retreating backs. She glanced at Furihata, who was still in the gym. “Furihata-chan, go get yourself cleaned up.”

Nervous, Furihata sent an apprehensive glance in the direction of the showers but it wasn’t observed by Aida, who was speaking to Hyūga. Shoulders slumped and trembling, Furihata slowly slinked in the direction of the locker rooms. His mind internally raged. Would the coach mind if he went into the Omega changing rooms? He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle being around so many Alphas.

“Furihata-chan,” spoke a voice.

Startled, Furihata flinched, whirling around the face the culprit. He blinked twice before beaming, “Kuroko-chan!”

“Come with me,” the other Omega softly ordered. “I have the keys to the Omega changing room. I saw the foresight that it’d be completely inappropriate and dangerous for an Omega to be in a changing room surrounded by other Alphas.”

“The Betas are using their own rooms, right?” Furihata inquired.

Tetsuya gave a nod before whirling on his heel and walking forward in a determined pace. It didn’t take long for Furihata to catch up. The Omega changing rooms were a hallway down from the Betas and Alphas, due to the fact that some of the more hormonal brood had attempted to sneak into said changing rooms in the past, causing multiple problems and cries of sexual harassment. The locker room was of medium size, painted in soothing colors of white and blue. Furihata strode towards the showers and Tetsuya began to change into his school uniform.

One would think that even if the A/B/O Dynamics of their world, that society would still be divided into female/male with whatever they did. Instead of that perspective, the view of all things “girly” and “feminine” and such didn’t apply just to females (though it mostly flowed towards Betas since Alphas were seen as the top of the top in those ways, expected to maintain a certain “manly” visage), it also applied to Omegas of both genders.

Stigmatized by public view and expectations — it was the only reason why the uniforms for Omega _males_ contained skirts. Or, if you were a Perky School Board Official, the term used would be _“skorts”_ – a skirt and shorts combined, though there was the option of just donning a regular skirt.

Slipping on the white undershirt, the long sleeved sweater, and the white-with-blue-and-green-edges sailor necktie went next. Tetsuya scowled at the green tie lying untied haphazardly. Even after Teikō, he still wasn’t accustomed to ties. He slipped on the white with green-and-blue borders skirt. Tetsuya was reviewing his additional notes when Furihata slipped out of the shower and began to change in the same uniform.

Tetsuya gave a small sigh. His legs felt exposed, bare, and he wasn’t used to it. Teikō, thankfully, had the option of allowing Omegas to wear the designated male uniform if they so desired. Seirin, unfortunately, didn’t see the need to implement such a rule. Once he saw that Furihata was ready, he closed his notebook and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“Furihata-chan, are you ready?” Tetsuya inquired.

The Omega nodded, grabbing his own bag, as they walked out of the locker rooms. Tetsuya locked up, and they both made their way to the shoe lockers by the front entrance.

“I’m still sorry for not seeing you,” Furihata stressed as they started to take off their shoes. They shared the same row, miraculously. Seirin was still a new school and, therefore, many parents were hesitant over enrolling their children or allowing their children to enroll. “I…I’ll treat you to some food after practice, how about it?”

Tetsuya gave a nod. “Sure, but I’m not blaming you Furihata-chan. Barely anyone notices me unless I allow my scent to seep from my glands.”

Furihata blanched at him. “You say it so blandly.”

“I apologize but this is how I speak,” Tetsuya replied.

The bell rang overheard, and flows of teens began to enter the school. Furihata squeaked at the sight and grabbed Tetsuya’s wrist. “L-Let’s go to our homeroom now, okay?” the Omega spoke in an urgent tone before pulling Tetsuya in the direction of Class 1-A.

As they took their seats, Tetsuya noted how Furihata seemed to be trembling. _He’s scared,_ Tetsuya thought. _But of what?_

“S-so did you play basketball in middle school, Kuroko-chan?” Furihata asked.

Tetsuya nodded. “Yes. I was a first string member at Teiko but due to an injury I acquired near the end of my third year, I can no longer play the sport.”

Furihata reached over and held his trembling hands. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “Whoever did that is a bastard – I’d offer to beat them with my onii-chan’s bat but I’m not good at fighting.”

Tetsuya gave the Omega a small smile. “Thank you, Furihata-chan. It is the thought that counts.”

They both fell silent as classmates slowly drifted inside of the class, already in small cliques of friends. Tetsuya began to review what he’d written, making careful markings on what he’d observed. He knew that most would not make it onto the first string or would quit, even, but he still documented all that he could as if they were already on the team.

Once the cacophony of voices scaled to near unbearable frequency, their homeroom teacher – Aoki Kaoru – entered the class with a sharp, “in your seats! Quiet down!” a split second before the bell for homeroom rang throughout campus. The classroom soon spiraled into silence as the school day began. Aoki-sensei called role in a strong voice that sailed over the class.

“Fujita-kun.”

“Here!”

“Arai-chan.”

“Present!”

“Nakamura-kun.”

“Here.”

“Nakamura-chan.”

“Here.”

“Kuroko-chan,” Aoki-sensei called.

Tetsuya said, “Here,” however, the Beta didn’t hear him or notice his raised hand. Furihata gave him a skittish, disbelieving glance.

Aoki-sensei sighed and sharply called, “Kuroko Tetsuya-chan, are you here?”

“He’s h-here, Aoki-sensei,” Furihata said, nervously, but almost shrunk in his seat when Aoki-sensei stared at him with a sharp glare.

“I’m certain Kuroko-chan can speak for himself,” the teacher spoke.

“Aoki-sensei,” Tetsuya called, unfazed as the classmates around him jolted and shrieked from surprise of his “sudden” appearance. “I am here.”

Alarmed, Aoki-sensei scolded, “Kuroko-chan, when did you come in the classroom?”

Blinking, unfazed at the chastisement, Tetsuya replied, “Sensei, I’ve been here ever since class started. I am unnoticeable due to my low presence therefore you couldn’t notice me.”

“Well, fix this _low presence_ of yours, Kuroko-chan,” Aoki-sensei replied coldly, cheeks flushed a faint pink at the humiliation of being startled by a mere first year.

“I cannot,” Tetsuya said. He had to do this process with every teacher, every year. “I was born with it.”

Clucking her tongue, Aoki-sensei gave him an unfathomable glance before turning her attention back towards the rest of attendance. Once the mishap was over with, the other classmates slowly forgot about the incident except for a handful or two. Tetsuya could feel their piercing stares on his back as the first four classes of the day passed by at a snails’ pace.

Once the bell for lunch rang, classmates of all Dynamics bolted for the canteen in the cafeteria. Calmly, Tetsuya took out his homemade bento and set it on his desk before noticing that Furihata was grasping his wrist with shaking fingers. He looked up at the other first year, noticing immediately how tense the Omega was.

“Furihata-chan?” Tetsuya questioned; one might not be able to detect it, but there was a touch of concern floating amongst the monotone of his voice. “Are you alright?”

“Did you feel it?” Furihata whispered instead. “The-the eyes on us…someone was s-staring at us. D-do you know who?”

“No,” Tetsuya replied. “If it makes you feel better, would you like to eat lunch elsewhere?”

Staring up at him with hopeful eyes, Furihata nodded fervently. Tetsuya led Furihata out of their classroom, through the crowded hallways, and outside in a courtyard area near the gym where he could hear a few people playing a practice game of some indoor sport. Furihata gave a sigh of relief and unwrapped his own bento. Tetsuya began eating his small amount of food. Even now, his stomach could barely hold even half of what was deemed an appropriate proportion of food in the average teens’ diet. A small smirk vanished on his lips as he thought of what Akashi would think—and do, when it would inevitably be uncovered on how little he was consuming.

After Teikō, Tetsuya barely followed the eating regimen. He found it a pain to prepare. He was just fine without it.

Furihata gave anxious glances at his bento but focused on eating his own. It gave Tetsuya a small comfort.  They both ate in comfortable silence but Tetsuya could see that Furihata was aching to ask him questions.

“Furihata-chan, would you like do a quid pro quo?” Tetsuya inquired.

Furihata blinked. “Is that like 21 questions?”

“Hai,” Tetsuya responded.

“Sure,” Furihata nodded before shyly tacking on, “um….you can go first?”

“What’s your favorite color?” Tetsuya questioned in his droning fashion.

Already accustomed to the monochrome and emotionless that is Kuroko Tetsuya, Furihata answered, “Green. Yours?”

Thinking on it briefly, Tetsuya said, “Orange. Your favorite subject? I prefer history and literature.”

“It’d have to be culture and linguistics of countries, including our own,” Furihata answered. “Can you draw? I’m pretty good, I suppose. My onee-chan makes me write short manga’s for her at random.”

“I normally paint with watercolors and acrylic,” Tetsuya said, giving a piece of himself that the Generation of Miracles and Momoi had never known in all the years of knowing him. “Though when I sketch, I use charcoal.”

“Charcoal is fun when doing abstracts – for me, at least,” Furihata grinned. “It’s still your turn for a question, Kuroko-chan.”

Tetsuya gave a small hum, pensive, before asking, “How many siblings do you have? I’m an only child.”

“My house is insane,” Furihata chuckled. “I have seven siblings in total. Three older brothers, one older sister, and the last three are identical triplets. All boys.”

Impassive, Tetsuya said, “I think I’d go insane if I lived there.”

“Sometimes, I think I might,” Furihata smiled. “There’s only one other Omega in the family, and that’s the youngest triplet—Tomoko. Everyone else is a mix of Alphas and Betas. You can imagine how overprotective they get over us.”

Tetsuya hummed in agreement – he’d seen his fair share of overprotectiveness what with Kise getting into a brawl with Haizaki whenever the Alpha deemed it fit to drape himself over him, with Momoi chasing off any prospective suitors ambling in his direction, with Murasakibara threatening to crush anyone who looked in his direction the wrong way...and don’t even get him started on Akashi when said Alpha is in his Must-Protect-My-Omega mode.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Furihata said quietly, “why do you hide your scent?”

“I find perverted Alphas to be unpleasant,” Tetsuya responded. “Therefore, I learned to hide my scent in order to remain undeterred. It took months to perfect but once someone is able to…smell me…they’re always able to know where I am, but misdirection with my low presence does help.”

“D-d-do you think you’ll be able to teach me that?” Furihata questioned in a bright, hopeful voice.

“If Furihata-chan is willing to learn, and patient about it, then yes,” Tetsuya replied with a small smile.

Beaming, Furihata wrapped his arms around Tetsuya for a hug. Without hesitance, Tetsuya returned the contact with slightly trembling arms. He’d gone so long without contact. Omegas thrived on touch. It was vital, imperative, to their survival. In Teikō, he’d received many hugs and positive touches from the Generation of Miracles and Momoi but after the depressing disaster that was his third year, Tetsuya gradually shied away from them, and the touch he was, by nature, depended upon grew less and less.

Furihata hugged him tighter, instinctively knowing, and understanding, that Tetsuya was a touch-deprived Omega.

Lunch ended, and the two Omegas found themselves in their last class – Japanese Literature. Their teacher, a middle aged Alpha male named Sugiyama-sensei, was late to the lesson. Ten minutes since the bell rang already flew by and the class was filled with chatter as people relaxed and goofed off since there was no adult supervision. Furihata was smothering his nerves by sketching out a small comic strip and Tetsuya was reading a philosophical novel he’d grabbed from his bookshelf that morning.

Tetsuya felt the approach before smelling them. Beside him, Furihata tensed, almost crouching over his desk as a means to make himself appear smaller and more submissive.

“Yo,” greeted the Alpha male. He towered over them, with dark brunet hair and pale brown eyes. He was ordinary. Average. Tetsuya blinked as the Alpha was peering intensively at him and not Furihata.

“Hello,” Tetsuya greeted softly, bookmarking his page with his finger as to not appear rude towards the Dynamic that was known for their aggression.

The Alpha smirked. “Takada Yoshihisa. You’re Kuroko-chan, right?”

“Correct,” Tetsuya replied. “Pleasure to meet you, Takada-kun.”

Takada gave a small frown before saying, “Call me Yoshi, Kuroko-chan.”

Tetsuya blinked at him. Even with his deadpan visage, there was a certain frostiness that hadn’t appeared before.  Coldly, Tetsuya deadpanned, “I refuse, Takada-kun.”

The Alpha gaped, spluttering, and Tetsuya saw his face darken considerably to a dangerous level. Fortunately, Sugiyama-sensei entered the classroom and called for order and quiet.

“I apologize for being late,” Sugiyama-sensei said, bowing. “There was an emergency meeting that dragged on for the Lit. teachers. Now, please be quiet so I can take roll.”

Tetsuya paid extra attention during the lecture, taking dutiful notes, before the final bell shrieked overhead. Furihata gave a relieved sigh next to him as he strapped on his bag and stood.

“Time for practice!” the Omega grinned.

Tetsuya nodded and the two left their class and headed towards the locker rooms. Coach had given Tetsuya the extra spare key for the Omega changing rooms under the orders of some teacher once it became known that there was an Omega manager, and an Omega first year trying out for the sport. Quickly, they both changed into clothes fitting the sport, Tetsuya grabbed his notebook and pen, and the two made their way to the gym.

Only the second years were there, stretching and chatting with one another.

Aida looked up at their entrance and smiled softly. “Furihata-chan! Where’s Kuroko-chan? I don’t see him.”

Furihata blinked in astonishment.

Tetsuya sighed before stepping forward and saying, “I’m right here, Coach.”

Appearing into her scope, Aida shrieked from shock. It drew attention from the second years. Sheepish, Aida said, “Sorry, sorry, Kuroko-chan. You do know that you don’t have to change into gym clothes, right, Kuroko-chan?”

“I don’t?” Tetsuya blinked. “Ok.”

“Furihata-chan, do you mind stretching with Izuki?”

“U-u-um o-o-o-okay,” Furihata responded with clattering teeth, either from nerves or from his fear.

Aida narrowed her eyes at his trembling silhouette. “Furihata-chan, are you alright?”

“Y-yes,” Furihata squeaked before scrambling over to the aforementioned second year to begin the stretches. Aida drifted towards Tetsuya.

“Kuroko-chan,” she started. “Is Furihata-chan afraid of Betas?”

“I don’t know,” Tetsuya replied. “I think it’s just taller, stronger people in general but he’s never talked about it, and I’ve never asked, seeing as how we’ve only properly met today.”

Aida didn’t respond but turned her attention towards the incoming arrivals, barking at them to pair up and stretch. There were less members than this morning but Tetsuya wasn’t deterred. Some people just weren’t cut out for the challenges that sports provide. Practice began with its normal drills and although the first years weren’t full-fledged members, Aida still wanted them to know how practice was with the basketball team.

As always, Tetsuya took notes and observed for weaknesses, improvements, natural talent.

“That Kagami is a monster,” Aida murmured to herself as she watched the tall, muscled first year.

Tetsuya resisted rolling his eyes – Kagami Taiga wasn’t a monster. He was a baby, at least, compared to the monsters called the Generation of Miracles. The monsters he once called pack. His phone rang softly, and he told Aida that he was stepping out for a call.

“Okay,” Aida said, nodding at him.

He stepped out into the gym hallway and answered the phone. “Kuroko Tetsuya speaking,” he greeted. “May I ask who this is?”

“Tet-chan!” came the exuberant but slightly sulking voice on the other end. “Why didn’t you tell me Midorima was attending Shūtoku?!”

“Ah,” Tetsuya deadpanned. “I’m sorry, Takao-chan. It slipped my mind.”

“Bull!” Takao Kazunari shouted. “Why didn’t Tet-chan tell me such things?”

“You would’ve refused to attend Shūtoku if I had,” Tetsuya said.

“Why’s that a problem?” Takao whined. “Now I’m stuck with him for three years!”

“Midorima-kun is the tamest member of the Generation of Miracles,” Tetsuya said. “Be happy you were not stuck with Aomine-kun or Kise-kun.”

Takao sniffled. “Why am I still attending this school?”

“You admire their theatre program,” Tetsuya softly reminded. “And I believe that you can be the one to change Midorima-kun.”

“Eh?!?” Takao spluttered. “What are you on, Tet-chan? _Change_ him? The kid carried around a giant stuffed elephant toy for good luck! And he’s an arrogant prick!”

“Please,” Tetsuya said, almost pleading. “Don’t give up on him. They don’t know it, but I don’t want to see them when they realize what they’ve done, who they’ve become, who they’ve destroyed in the process of their oblivion. Help me save them, Kazu-chan! Please don’t give up on him!”

Takao was silent on his end before heaving a heavy sigh. “Alright, alright,” he said. “I won’t give up on the asshole. I promise.”

Tetsuya released a relieved breath of air. “Thank you, Takao-chan.”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Takao scolded lightheartedly. “Call me Kazu-chan like you did before – none of this, _Takao-chan_ , Tet-chan.”

“I refuse.”

“T-T-T-Tet-chan, why are you so cruel to me?” Takao whined. “Call me Kazu-chan.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Kazu-chan!”

“I refuse,” Tetsuya deadpanned, a small smile on his lips. Takao squabbled and spluttered on the other end but the Aida popped her head out of the gym doors and began waving him back. He nodded before saying, “Takao-chan, I must go now. Coach needs me.”

“O-oh, okay,” Takao said. “We’ll talk later. Hiro-chan and I are coming over this weekend, kay!”

Tetsuya hung up his phone and made his way back into the gym, where Hyūga was instructing the first years on the safe, proper way to do suicide runs. He walked towards Aida, who was peering at his notebook with rapt attention. He cleared his throat, causing her to jolt in shock from getting caught poking.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop,” Aida apologized anxiously.

“It’s okay,” Tetsuya said. “You’re the coach therefore you have a right to look at the notes I make on your players.”

“Seriously, Kuroko-chan,” Aida praised, ruffling his hair gently. “These notes are highly detailed and observant. I really like how you put in areas that have improved or can be improved.”

“It’s no problem,” Tetsuya said, unwilling to let it show how much he was enjoying the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. Just like Aomine…

Aida stopped the praise and checked the time before ordering a quick lap around the gym. Once the lap was completed, she let them all go to the showers with a, “newbies! Remember, if you want to quit being a trial member, the roof on Monday at 8:45 A.M.!”

Furihata was waiting for him by the door. Tetsuya looked at Aida and questioned, “Should I come to the roof as well?”

“If you like,” Aida said. “You’re already a fully-fledged member of the Seirin High Basketball Club.”

Tetsuya nodded before walking with Furihata towards the locker rooms.

“Don’t forget,” Furihata said as he bounced towards the showers. “I’m treating you to dinner!”

Tetsuya nodded but questioned, over the splattering sounds of water running, “Won’t your family worry?”

“I’ll text them when I’ve changed,” came the slightly muffled reply.

Tetsuya hummed before neatly placing his notebook back in his bag, checking his phone. It was six in the afternoon, and he had a few missed calls from his mother. Instead of leaving voicemails, she texted him over how she wouldn’t be home until June due to a crisis in the plateau in Stockholm.

_Your father will be flying in from Italy next week. Expect to see him, okay? I’ll text you his flight details and such when he corresponds with me. Love, your mother._

Tetsuya closed his phone. Sometimes he wondered why his parents were still “in harmonious matrimony” when they could barely stand to be around one another for more than twelve minutes. They were both Betas but also didn’t know how to deal with an Omega son. Going into his first heat was a nightmare when both of his parents didn’t have a clue with what was going on.

“Okay, Kuroko-chan!” Furihata said, “I’m all set. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said. They left the locker rooms with Tetsuya making sure to lockup. “Where are we eating?”

“Well, I know this awesome ramen place near my house,” Furihata said. “We could go there if you’d like?”

“Sure,” Tetsuya said.

“Oh, wait, won’t your parents’ mind?” Furihata questioned with a furrowed eyebrow. “I don’t want you to get into trouble or anything.”

“They don’t care,” Tetsuya said blandly. “My mother is in Switzerland at the moment, and my father is attending a seminar in Spain.”

Furihata fell silent before asking, softly, “So you’re home alone?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya replied.

“If you want…you could stay over at my place sometime?” Furihata suggested in a shy tone.

Tetsuya fell silent, juggling the idea in his mind, before he said, “I’d like that, Furihata-chan.”

Furihata beamed before chuckling, “Time for some ramen!” right as they left the school premises.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole uniform thing at Seirin isn't going to have that much of an impact, its' just how this world is with their Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics. Thanks for reading!
> 
> A Question: should I update every week or every two weeks? If I update everyday, then I'll run out of ideas too quickly and hit a wall.


	3. Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi. 
> 
> This will mostly be a filler-ish chapter, but some parts delve deeper into the plot and the character backgrounds, as well as more insight on Dynamics. In this AU, obviously, many people may have different pasts and such from the original timeline.

The rest of the week passed by slowly. The first years who initially wanted to try out for the team had dwindled in numbers, and only Fukuda, Kawahara, Kagami, and Furihata had remained when the first week of school ended. It didn’t bother Tetsuya like it did Hyūga and Aida. It just meant, for him, that there would be less paper wasted.

Surprisingly, however, it was only Aomine, Momoi, and Kise who badgered him about the school he was enrolled in, and questioned him over his disappearing act in Teikō. Soon, though, they figured out that he wouldn’t tell them, even if they did offer to buy him vanilla milkshakes for four months. He refused, using Akashi’s meal plan as an excuse. Murasakibara and Midorima weren’t contacting him as of yet, but Tetsuya did get his daily dose of Midorima through Takao.

He was tense, joints coiled, as he waited for Akashi’s familiar ringtone to shriek.

The Alpha was waiting for something, the metaphorical pin to drop so to speak, but what was it? What was Akashi Seijūrō planning?

Tetsuya sighed as he continued mixing the ingredients together to make chocolate chip cookies (which were Ogiwara’s favorite dessert). His house wasn’t as silent as it usually is, since he played classical instrumentals to create soothing background noise. Ogiwara and Takao were coming over for an “Omega Night” around four, bearing sleeping bags and such. Knowing Ogiwara, his mother would have him come bearing dinner fit for seven people instead of three.

He had invited Furihata on Wednesday but the male shook his head and said, “I have a wedding to go to, unfortunately. I wish I could, though.”

He worked quietly against pianos and violins before, finally, setting the batch of cookies into the oven whilst simultaneously taking out the apple pie for Takao. As he set the pie down on the cooling rack, his phone jostled on the counter positioned in the middle of the kitchen, an island counter. He answered without looking, placing it on speaker as he focused on the matter at hand.

“Kuroko Tetsuya speaking,” he greeted. “May I ask who this is?”

A soft chuckle echoed throughout the room. “Tetsuya, why don’t you look at your caller ID?”

Tetsuya almost dropped the pie but stumbled before hastily placing it on the wire racks to cool. “Akashi-kun,” he greeted. “H-how are you?”

“I am well.” The Alpha responded. “And you? How are you faring?”

How was he faring? Tetsuya blinked, pensive. He couldn’t honestly say that he was alright, since he wasn’t. He still woke up screaming from the nightmares, he still cried himself to sleep, he still looked at old photo albums, achingly wondering where everything went wrong. He still ate less, his stomach churning with the thought of food. He still grew catatonically terrified whenever seeing a flash of gray and a dark smirk in his peripheral vision.  

 “I…I do not know how to answer that, Akashi-kun,” he said truthfully.

 “Why?” Akashi questioned, his voice hardening. “Is someone bothering you, Tetsuya?”

Heart thumping, Tetsuya refuted the claim. “No, Akashi-kun. I am still unnoticeable due to my low presence.”

The Alpha hummed. “I’ve heard that you’ve acquired the position of manager in your schools’ basketball team. Why have you not tried out?”

Tetsuya chewed on his bottom lip but explained, softly, “Akashi-kun, I cannot play basketball anymore.”

Silence rang from the other end, something that Tetsuya hadn’t expected to occur. After a minute or so, Akashi growled, “Explain, Tetsuya. Now.”

The Alpha wasn’t using his Command but Tetsuya still felt the ingrained urge, his innate impulse, to submit.

“I was attacked near the end of our third year,” Tetsuya elaborated. “Which is why I quit the team. If I play basketball, I will risk permanently damaging my arms, wrists, hands…and my right ankle. It is too dangerous of a sport for me right now.”

“Are you seeing a specialist?”

“Yes.”

“What’s their name?”                                                           

“Dr. Hinata Takeshi,” Tetsuya acquiesced before adding, “Would Akashi-kun like to know when my next physiotherapy is?”

“Of course,” the Alpha replied in a smooth baritone.

Tetsuya gave the teen the details and such right as his doorbell rang. It was Takao, given how the Omega always rang the bell in a tune persistently until someone opened the door.

“Expecting someone?” Akashi inquired.

“Yes,” Tetsuya said, “My friends Takao-chan and Ogiwara-chan. We’re having an Omega Night.”

“Ah,” Akashi spoke. “Have fun, then. I’ll be checking up on you on a later day.”

“Okay,” Tetsuya said as Akashi disconnected their call. Takao had begun another tune and Tetsuya made his way to the front door. One of his childhood friends’ stood on his doorstep wearing a grin, a beanie, skinny jeans, and an oversized tee.

With exuberance, Takao yelled, “Tet-chan!”

“Takao-chan,” Tetsuya breezed out through crushed lungs as Takao glomped him. “Was your journey uneventful?”

“It was,” Takao said cheerfully. “No one gave me any lecherous looks, though that maybe has something to do with my Alpha teammates possessively scent-marking me. The manager and I found it endearing.”

Tetsuya gave a small frown as he allowed his friend entry. “You sure that their actions don’t mean something else?”

“I think – I _hope_ it’s platonic,” Takao said, solemn for a moment, before a grin threatened to split his face in half. “But guess who also scent-marked me in such a tsundere way!”

Without batting an eyelash, Tetsuya said, “It was Midorima-kun, wasn’t it?”

“Yup,” Takao chirped as he slipped off his shoes and followed Tetsuya into the kitchen. “It was really funny. This beanie, actually, is my lucky item according to Shin-chan. He’s such a tsundere it hurts.”

“Hmm,” Tetsuya said as he checked on the apple pie and the cookies. Different scents permeated from Takao, wrapping around him in a protective way that blared out to others saying “this one is spoken for”. Midorima’s pine and oak tree scent was focused mainly around the beanie on Takao’s head.

“Ooh,” Takao sang. “I smell apple pie!”

“It is cooling,” Tetsuya said.

“Where’s Hiro-chan?” Takao questioned.

Tetsuya shrugged but said, “On the way, I suppose.”

By the time the pie and the cookies cooled, Ogiwara had arrived on Tetsuya’s doorstep. As Tetsuya guessed, in his arms was a large container of food. The container was large and heavy, and even standing Ogiwara was having trouble with it. With a sheepish grin, Ogiwara said, “Mom was adamant that I not leave the house without this.”

Ogiwara set the container down on one of the kitchen counters. For a couple of minutes, the three Omegas stood in the kitchen awkwardly as silence descended. There was tension, impalpable but it was there. It swirled around them as they faced one another, not knowing what to do next. Tetsuya was the most unsure of what to do since, after all, it was _his_ pack that had damaged the two Omegas in the past.

Tetsuya opened his mouth to speak. “I’m so—”

With a sharp tongue, Ogiwara snapped, “Don’t you dare apologize, Tet-chan! You are you not the one to blame! It is the Alphas in your pack that hold responsibility, not you.”

Frowning, Tetsuya argued, allowing the tiniest bit of emotion to seep out of his voice, “But they’re _my_ pack members, Ogiwara-chan. I should’ve tried harder to get them to listen!”

“Except that they stopped listening to you, Tet-chan,” Ogiwara replied in an exasperated tone. “There was nothing you could do anymore. They wouldn’t even listen to that pink-haired Manager – and she was also an Alpha!”

“I agree with Hiro-chan, Tet-chan,” Takao spoke with solemnity. “It was their own choice, their own arrogance, to disregard the words their Omega spoke. If anything, Tet-chan, it was you who suffered the most out of all of us.”

Taken aback at their words, Tetsuya shook his head but focused on the container of food. He disliked arguments. He disliked yelling. There were too many fights in Teikō, many of which he would do anything to forget.

_“The only one who can defeat me is me after all. I can’t even feel your passes anymore, Tetsu.”_

Shoving away those harsh words and memories, Tetsuya focused on what his two childhood friends were speaking of.

“– I mean,” Takao was saying, words spilling out of his mouth in a zealous storm. “All of them are a bunch of Alpha dicks for just pushing you off to the side like that! Don’t those assholes know Omegas thrive on touch and pack stability?”

“Language, Takao-chan,” Tetsuya deadpanned automatically. Akashi had drilled it into all of their heads during their first year that such language was uncouth, and he wouldn’t tolerate it being spoken around him or, in his words, “Tetsuya’s delicate ears”.

Sheepish, Takao apologized. “Sorry, Tet-chan,” but then his expression clouded once more and he spewed, “But you know I’m right! Don’t deny it! You went to an unknown school just to get a breather from them, including that – that redhead!”

Tetsuya sighed and leaned against the counter. None of what Takao said was wrong but it was still, slightly, disconcerting to hear it from someone else other than his conscience. Sensing his slight discomfort, Ogiwara reached over and clamped a hand over Takao’s ranting mouth. Surprised at the sudden movement, and lack of voice, Tetsuya gave the two a slow blink.

“C-calm down a bit, Kazu-chan,” Ogiwara soothed. “Let’s have a nice, relaxing evening, okay? We’ll watch movies, eat snacks and desserts, and gossip about our new schools. Sound good?”

Thoughtful, Takao nodded his head and, thankfully, Tetsuya noted that his ire seemed to deflate. “Will we be in Tet-chan’s room for this sleepover?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said, walking towards his dry food cupboard. He had stocked up on Thursday specifically for this weekend, buying snacks and things that they all preferred to dine on. “Although, we should eat what Ogiwara-chan’s mother has packed for us before we retire to my room.”

Agreeing, Takao flitted around the kitchen in search of silverware while Ogiwara opened the container of food and got drinks. They ate in comfortable silence, preferring to focus on chewing and eating than talking. Once dinner was consumed, the dishes were washed, and the leftovers put away, the three crowded around the pantry to grab snacks they deemed necessary.

With food laden arms, they trekked upstairs to Tetsuya’s room. His bedroom was slightly larger than a modern living room, given the size of his own home, but it was the smallest bedroom in the entire house and, although his mother wished for him to sleep in something bigger, Tetsuya put his foot down. In fact, he still thought that his room was too big for just one person. However, unless he wanted to move to the residence in Kyoto, and therefore have to transfer to Rakuzan, he’d have to bear the bedroom.

Sighing in content, Takao slumped on one of the bean bag chairs placed on the floor. “What movie should we watch? I’m in the mood for some comedy!”

“Romantic comedy?” Ogiwara suggested.

Takao shrugged. “So long as it makes me laugh,”

The two looked over at Tetsuya, who was positioning himself in a more comfortable position on the floor, and nodded. Takao turned on the TV ad began searching through the channels for something in that genre worth watching. As he always did after he ate, Tetsuya reviewed the notes he’d taken on Friday’s practice.

He was on Hyūga when Ogiwara cleared his throat for attention. _I’m going to have to make folders for each player,_ Tetsuya thought as Takao paused the movie.

“What’s up, Hiro-chan?” Takao asked.

“I haven’t told you what school I’m attending, have I?” Ogiwara said.

Tetsuya and Takao shared a look. “Where are you going?” Tetsuya questioned.

Taking a deep breath, Ogiwara admitted, “I’m attending Kaijō.”  

 

 


	4. Four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.
> 
> Okay, so I know that Kuroko and Kagami are in the same class at Seirin but I completely forgot that fact until I reread the Manga, but then I was like, “oh well”. Having Furihata and Kuroko in the same class is imperative for the plot and their friendship. Also, characters will be OOC.

Monday morning was…enlightening for Tetsuya. He didn’t follow the trial members up to the roof because he remembered that Seirin had a schoolwide meeting on Monday morning. However, he was amused to see that Coach was having them shout out their goals, name, and class number for everyone to hear. His lips twitched with amusement when Kawahara saw the need to divulge his life story to the masses. When he slid into his seat for homeroom, Furihata was sulking in his seat.

“We’re not allowed on the roof anymore,” Furihata said as he shrunk further in his desk underneath the curious glances from their classmates. “I was so scared – I didn’t even get to say anything.”

“What was your goal going to be?” Tetsuya inquired.

Furihata looked pensive but the bell rang before he could express his goal. Aoki-sensei took roll and Tetsuya noticed with calculating eyes that she seemed to notice his presence with ease. Beside him, his friend gave a sigh of relief. Throughout the first couple of classes before lunch, Tetsuya could feel someone staring at him. _Takada-kun, most likely,_ Tetsuya thought to himself but focused on the math problems their teacher was writing on the board. Furihata was trembling in his seat.

When lunch arrived, Tetsuya noticed that Furihata looked ready to bolt out of the classroom but stayed as Tetsuya grabbed his bento, notebook, and pen. The two walked towards the same courtyard by the gym and sat down at one of the wooden tables.

“My…my goal, Kuroko-chan…” Furihata began, staring intensively at his bento. “My goal is to find something worth living for.”

Blinking, Tetsuya looked at the first friend he’d made in this school. There was still so much that he didn’t know about Furihata Kōki—what made him tick, what made him so terrified, why’d he chose basketball out of all the other sports, why did he choose Seirin as his high school? He gave Furihata a smile, small though it was, it was enough to make Furihata look dazed. He reached over and gripped Furihata’s hand and said, “I wish you the best of luck in your search, Furihata-chan.”

They stared at one another in silence until Furihata stammered, “C-C-Call me Kō-chan, Kuroko-chan.”

Tetsuya blinked before nodding. “Then it is only fair for Kō-chan to call me Tet-chan.”

Furihata’s lips spread to a beam. “I’d like that very much, Tet-chan.”

Lunch was peaceable as they ate their bentos and Tetsuya went over the notes and observations he’d made on Furihata, sharing them with the other Omega. Furihata was grateful as they poured over the notebook. It was peaceful. Calming. Tetsuya took note, with a slightly smug gleam in his eyes, that he managed to cease Furihata’s trembles down to nothing.

Until, of course, a shadow stretched over them.

Immediately, Furihata tensed and hunched over himself as the stench of dominance and sweat and _Alpha_ washed over their senses. Tetsuya kept his face deliberately blank as he peered at the two upperclassmen, his eyes impassive as he stared. Like he’d said before, they were kittens compared to Akashi and the other Generation of Miracles. They’d need a lot of practice before they’d be able to intimidate him.

“May we help you?” Tetsuya questioned in a polite but coldly monotone voice.

“You can,” one of the upperclassmen replied. There were two of them huddled around the two Omegas. Seirin wasn’t as strict in their regulations over bullying and the overall protection of Omegas. It was a reason as to why he was hesitant to enroll in the high school in the first place. However, upon remembering what the Generation of Miracles had become, remembering the sorrowful yet baleful look in Aomine’s eyes as he said, _“No one can beat me but me,”_ and remembering the trail of broken pieces they’d left behind, Tetsuya knew that Seirin was the school he had to attend.

Akashi expected him at Rakuzan as did the other Generation of Miracles. Akashi was the top dog in their small pack, and he expected nothing less than obedience. It was a shock to them when Tetsuya hadn’t showed up at Rakuzan’s entrance ceremony for first years. Tetsuya still wonders of what Akashi would do in response to such blatant display of disobedience and it keeps him up at night with cold anxiety crawling up his spine.

Nonetheless, back to the matter at hand.

The upperclassman that responded was as tall as Aomine but was average looking at best. He had gray eyes, Tetsuya took note. Other than that, there was nothing overly outstanding of the boy in front of him.

“You two should come hang with us,” gray-eyed Alpha said, smirking. “You two seem a little lonely over here.”

Furihata was turning paler at an alarming rate. Tetsuya was worried his friend was going to pass out. Another Alpha, this one was a brunet with dark blue eyes and a pierced ear, leaned over next to Furihata, wrapping his arms around the first years’ shoulder. Flinching violently, Furihata scooted away, moving closer to Tetsuya.

Tetsuya glared. “Please remove your arm from Kō-chan. It is unwanted.”

The Alpha scoffed at him, ignoring his words, and turned his attention towards the trembling Omega. “So…Kō-chan, was it? Wanna have some fun with your senpai?”

“What’s your name?” gray-eyed Alpha inquired. “Kisumu Kio at your service.”

Tetsuya wasn’t paying the Alpha any mind, his attention on the one who was touching his friend without permission. Said “senpai” was about to get an Ignite Pass to his crotch from Tetsuya’s foot.

Furihata shuddered, feeling the Alpha in his personal bubble. “P-p-p-p-please l-l-leave m-me alone.”

“Aw, you’re so cute,” the Alpha purred. “Stuttering and all, I’m afraid I can’t understand you.”

“Oi,” Gray-eyed Alpha—or, rather, Kisumu—snapped. “I’m talking to you.”

With a frosty glower, Tetsuya demanded, in his monotone, “Please leave me and my friend alone.”

“Yeah,” the Alpha with the piercing drawled, “I don’t think so.”

Furihata whimpered. Kisumu’s face darkened at being ignored once more and took a threatening step forward. Tetsuya geared himself ready to inflict some sort of damage on the two upperclassmen when he heard, “Hey! The hell do you two assholes think you’re doing?”

A savior in the form of an irate Kagami Taiga stormed forward. Upon seeing the thunderous expression, Furihata squeaked and practically dove towards Tetsuya. The Alpha that was draping himself around Furihata was ripped away by Kagami’s brute force as he loomed over the two older Alphas threateningly, growling, eyes darkening to a near pitch-black.

“You don’t scare me,” Kisumu replied. He turned to Tetsuya, giving him a lecherous grin. “However, you two aren’t worth a fight.”

Pierced Alpha chuckled. “See you later.”         

The two upperclassmen made their way out of the courtyard, allowing Furihata and Tetsuya to sigh in relief once they were out of their peripheral vision. Turning to the Kagami, the two showed their appreciation.

“Thanks, K-Kagami.”

“Thank you, Kagami-kun.”

“No problem,” Kagami replied gruffly. “You mind if I eat my lunch here? I was looking for a quiet place to eat when I saw them harassing you.”

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Tetsuya said before looking at Furihata, who was still trembling in his arms. “What about you, Kō-chan?”

“It’s fine,” Furihata whispers.

Lunch passes by without any incident, and the entire day is a blur to Tetsuya’s eyes. After practice, he enters Maji Burger with the purpose of buying one of his beloved milkshakes and, as his stomach growled, a cheeseburger as well. As he sat down by one of the windows to dine, his phone rang. As his usual habit, Tetsuya answered without looking at the caller ID.

“Kuroko Tetsuya speaking,” he said, “Who is this?”

There was a near inhumane screech in his ear as Kise Ryōta shrieked, “Kurokocchi! I missed you! You’ve ignored all my calls over summer!”

“I ignored you for a reason, Kise-kun,” Tetsuya replied blithely.

Kise wailed, most likely crying crocodile tears, “Kurokocchi hates me!”

Tetsuya sighed and took a languid sip of his milkshake. With this call, he was going to need it. “Kise-kun,” he called, distracting the blond from his wails. “Why’d you call me? Is there something you need?”

“Yes, there is!” Kise replied, bright and bubbly as if he wasn’t crying a second ago. “You see, Kurokocchi, you should tell me where you’re attending. We’re all getting worried because what if Kurokocchi is in a school full of perverts?!”

“I am not defenseless, Kise-kun,” Tetsuya said, barely resisting the urge to grind his teeth. He took another sip of his milkshake. He really despised it when his former teammates deemed him too fragile and delicate simply because he was an Omega and smaller than them. Momoi wasn’t placed in the category of “all things adorable and vulnerable” simply because, whilst being female, she was also an Alpha. “Please stop implying that I am.”

Kise spluttered, “I am not, Kurokocchi! I’m worried—you’ve never been by yourself before, and…and you’re far away from the pack. That leaves you in a delicate state.”

Although he wished to sigh with irritation, Tetsuya stamped down the reaction. Kise was right in that train of thought—he was alone for the first time in three years. Before, he had a pack. He had an Alpha. Now though, even if he was in the same country as the other six, their pack bond was becoming unraveled. He wished to deny it but he wasn’t used to being without an Alpha. Even as he slowly distanced himself from the others due to what they’d become, he still had the comforting knowledge of Akashi watching over him, protecting him.

“I am fine, Kise-kun,” Tetsuya said. “Thank you for your concern.”

“No problem, Kurokocchi!” Kise laughed. “Ne, ne, does Kurokocchi want to hang out during the weekend with me? We could—,”

Tetsuya cut him off. “I’m going to have to say no.”                   

“Eh?! But why, Kurokocchi?” whined Kise.

“I am busy this weekend,” Tetsuya responded calmly. “My friend, Kō-chan, and I are going shopping.”

“Shopping? For what? Can I come?”

“We’re shopping,” Tetsuya said evasively. “And no, Kise-kun, you can’t come.”

“Why? And who is this Kō-chan anyway, Kurokocchi?”

“You cannot come with Kō-chan and I to the mall because it is an Omega Day for us,” Tetsuya explained with a patience he’d only obtain for Kise. “Also, Kō-chan is uncomfortable around Alphas and those who are taller than him.”  

Squealing loudly, Kise yelled, “Kurokocchi made an Omega friend? That’s amazing, Kurokocchi!!”

Tetsuya sighed. “Please stop being so loud.”

“Sorry, Kurokocchi, but isn’t this exciting? You’re first friend that’s of the same Dynamic!”

His phone beeped as someone else called him. “Sorry, Kise-kun, I have another call.”

“No worries, Kurokocchi! I’ll call you later!”

Kise hung up leaving Tetsuya free to answer the incoming call. “Hello?” he said. “Kuroko Tetsuya speaking.”

“Hey, Tet-chan, it’s Kō-chan,” Furihata greeted. “I was just wondering if we were still on for the mall this weekend.”

“We are,” Tetsuya replied. “Although, Takao-chan may accompany us as well. He likes going into the stores that sell scented candles.”

“Ah. Well I won’t mind if he comes, I’d love to meet him,” Furihata said. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow, Tet-chan?”

“Kō-chan,” Tetsuya said, grasping for words, hesitant. “Are you okay?”

There was a short pause on Furihata’s side of the phone before he said, “I want to say yes, Tet-chan, but I don’t like lying. So…to answer your question…I really don’t know. Are you alright?”

“I will manage,” Tetsuya said. “Have you told anyone about the Alphas?”

“I tried reporting it anonymously but Seirin, being new, still has a lot of work to put in for their clauses against bullying and all around harassment of Omegas,” Furihata groused, his frustration evident. “Technically, unless a teacher was a witness, there is nothing that will happen to the Alphas. It’s our word against theirs – and you know as well as I how that’ll turn out.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah, it sucks but we have to deal with it,” Furihata said, sighing. “The school I wished to go to is too far away so I’m stuck at Seirin.”

Silence stretched between the two. It was comfortable but Tetsuya broke it when he inquired, softly, “Kō-chan, will you ever tell me why you’re so afraid?”

“Someday, Tet-chan,” Furihata whispered. “Someday, I promise I will tell you everything.”

* * *

 

Tetsuya couldn’t sleep that night. It was filled with resurfacing memories and restless, unrelenting dreams.

_He yawned as he lethargically walked to his homeroom. Feeling others’ undesirable gaze upon his physique, Tetsuya moved a little faster. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t completely oblivious to the looks he’d gotten by other Alphas and a few Betas that had the keener senses to pick him out from the crowd. He moved with the crowd, using his low presence, and misdirection, to his advantage. Morning practice was canceled for the morning and Tetsuya had gotten to sleep in._

_Looking back, it really wasn’t a wise decision._

_Tetsuya yawned once more, closing his eyes briefly as he fought the sleep that still leeched off his mind._

_An arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him against someone’s side. The person was an Alpha, given by their scent, and they smelled of violence and anger as well as pumpkin. The violence and anger was putrid to Tetsuya’s nose and he jumped, eyes opening to see the culprit._

_He gritted his teeth. “Haizaki-kun, let go of me.”_

_“Hmm,” the teen grinned. Haizaki Shōgo had been a thorn in Tetsuya’s side ever since he presented – always giving him unwanted touches, undesired advances, and being a pervert. “I don’t think so, Tetsuya. You seem very tired this morning, had a long night?”_

_Refusing to show reaction at the implications of his teammate, Tetsuya focused on getting indoors before Akashi noticed he was taking too long to get to homeroom. Haizaki shadowed him, hands brushing lower and lower as they walked on school grounds. When, for the second time, Haizaki’s fingers brushed against the swell of his ass, Tetsuya gripped his wrist, whirling around._

_In a cold tone he only used to this particular Alpha, Tetsuya said, “I do not believe I gave you permission to touch me, Haizaki Shōgo.”_

_Haizaki looked at him, shocked, before a lecherous grin darkened over his features. He leaned forward. Their noses bumped. “Well, well,” Haizaki drawled, “Who knew the little kitten had claws?”_

_Tetsuya jerked backward, letting go of Haizaki’s wrist, but the teen simply rectified such a situation by grabbing Tetsuya’s forearm, ceasing his movements._

_“Haizaki,” Tetsuya spoke. Even the Alpha’s name left something foul in his mouth. “Release me.”_

_“I don’t think so,” Haizaki said. “You’re so mean to me, Tetsuya. Always ignoring me, being so c_ _—,”_

_Multiple shrieks cut the gray-haired teen off._

_“WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KUROKOCCHI, HAIZAKI!?”_

_“TETSU-CHAN!”_

_“OI, HAIZAKI, YOU BASTARD!”_

_Murasakibara loomed ominously over them. Tetsuya visibly saw Haizaki cringe as the Generation of Miracles bustled in their direction._

_“Haizaki,” came the perilous tone of one Akashi Seijūrō. “You’d be wise to unhand my Omega.”_

_Outwardly, Tetsuya kept his face impassive. Inwardly, however, he could feel his insides warm and turn to mush. He refused to let Akashi understand what it meant to him when the Alpha called him “his”; specifically his and not “our” in regards to the Generation of Miracles as a whole._

_Haizaki let Tetsuya go and sighed, “Whatever. He’s not worth it anyway. All he’s good for is lying on his back.”_

His ringing phone brought him out of the memory.  Tetsuya blinked, hastily wiping away the tears that always fell down his face whenever he remembered those particular moments of Haizaki in Teikō, and once he had grappled his emotions under tight control he answered his phone.

“Kuroko Tetsuya speaking,” Tetsuya greeted, even though he noticed it was only three in the morning.

“Where are you, Tetsuya?” Akashi demanded in a prying tone, just short of using his Command. “I can feel your unease and fear all the way in Kyoto.”

Tetsuya blinked. “I am in my home, Akashi-kun.”

“Are you home alone?”

His stomach clenched—Akashi always had a problem with him being home alone. “Yes,” Tetsuya replied. “Though my unease and fear can be explained by the fact that I just awoke from a nightmare.” It was a memory, really, but everything associated with Haizaki, in Tetsuya’s mind, was a nightmare in itself. It was a nightmare in Teikō, and it was a nightmare now. “I apologize for causing you any concern.”

“It’s alright,” Akashi replied, no longer angry. “When are your parents coming back?”

“Mother is held up in Switzerland but father should be coming back sometime this week from Italy,” Tetsuya replied, recalling his mothers’ text message during the first week of school.

“Do you know when he will depart once more?” Akashi questioned.

“I do not,” Tetsuya said.

Akashi hummed. “What was your nightmare about?”

Tetsuya fell silent. He wasn’t sure how the Alpha would react when he told him it was about Haizaki. Akashi would probably (most indefinitely) make the teen disappear from the face of the earth. Out of everyone in his pack, Akashi was the most overprotective when it came to his wellbeing and safety. It was unnerving to Tetsuya that the Alpha still didn’t know the high school he attended.

Tetsuya was pulled out of his thoughts by Akashi’s stern, “Tetsuya?”

“Sorry, Akashi-kun,” Tetsuya said, short of sighing. “I cannot indulge that information.”

There was a small pause before a dangerous, “and why not, pray tell?”

Tetsuya swallowed before he explained, “Because it would cause you to do something to another person. I do not wish that on your conscience.”

Akashi’s low chuckles sent shivers crawling up and down his spine. “Tetsuya, you do not need to protect this person – especially if they’re causing you such grief in their absence.”

“I still stand by what I say.”

Akashi sighed. “You’re being uncharacteristically stubborn, Tetsuya.”

“I have always been stubborn, Akashi-kun,” Tetsuya said bluntly.

Humming once again, Akashi questioned, “When is your next physiotherapy appointment with Dr. Hinata?”

“Next Saturday, at ten.” Tetsuya informed.

“I will be there,” Akashi promised before hanging up the phone. Tetsuya sighed, lying back down on his bed to stare at his collection of photos on his ceiling. For the most part, the days of Teikō outnumbered others from his childhood or whenever he hung out with Takao and Ogiwara. There were fewer photos of his childhood and family but lack of those photos never bothered him. Blood may be thicker but Tetsuya would always choose the family he wishes for.

There is a chance that he may find that family within Seirin ( _even though his heart is longing for his pack_ ).

The next day, Aida Riko had procured a practice match with Kaijō.

 

 


	5. Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.

“They seem to take sports seriously around here,” commented Hyūga as he gazed upon the atmosphere of Kaijō High. Aida hummed, looking over the notes on Kaijō’s first string Tetsuya had given her once he’d heard that they were going to have a practice match.

Kagami was blinking blearily as he explained that he couldn’t get any sleep the previous night. Koganei snickered at him, calling him a child the night before a field trip. Furihata blinked, his eyes not noticing where the other Omega on the team was until he looked behind Kagami’s tall physique.

“Tet-chan,” Furihata murmured. “Why are you hiding behind Kagami?”

“Kise-kun attends Kaijō,” Tetsuya explained quietly. “If he sees me here then he’ll tell everyone.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Furihata asked. Tetsuya nodded with a solemn look on his face. Furihata understood the significance of the situation and nodded as well, staying the back with Tetsuya.

“Welcome to Kaijō,” greeted a voice that belonged to one Kise Ryōta, the copycat and rookie of the Generation of Miracles. Tetsuya gulped, shrinking backward, at the sight of his pack member. Furihata gave his hand a calming squeeze. “Coach Takeuchi thought you might get lost so he sent me to go find you.”

Kise led Seirin into the gym they’d be using in which it was revealed that they would have their practice match in half a court only, which was insulting and disrespectful to both Seirin and the team. By the menacing aura their coach was emanating, Tetsuya knew that Aida was furiously displeased at the ‘welcome’ of the prestigious school.

The captain, Kasamatsu Yukio, was frowning in his coach’s direction. “Uh, Coach,” the third year said, “Why are we only playing on half a court?”

Takeuchi Genta gave some asinine excuse that Tetsuya refused to listen to as his gaze was caught by Ogiwara Shigehiro, who was putting on the uniform for Kaijō, and quietly observing Seirin. His childhood friends’ eyes widened as they locked onto his, and Tetsuya shook his head, silently telling Ogiwara to stay silent about his presence. Ogiwara nodded, sending him a cheeky grin, but his attention was diverted by a cheerful, “Ogiwaracchi!”

Kise glomped the Omega the same way he would Tetsuya, if the model knew that his pack member was in the same vicinity.

“That smile of yours was so cute, just like Kurokocchi!” Kise cooed with his normal enthusiasm. “Ogiwaracchi should smile more!”

“Seirin! Let me show you where the locker rooms are!” Takeuchi shouted in the teams’ direction. Furihata blanched, looking nervous. Aida noticed and flagged Takeuchi’s attention.

“Do you have Omega changing rooms?” she inquired. “We have an Omega player on our team.”

“We do,” Takeuchi spoke and glanced at Ogiwara, who was still getting glomped by Kise. “Ogiwara-chan, show Seirin’s Omega where the changing rooms’ are.”

Lips twitching in a frown, Ogiwara nodded and untangled himself from Kise’s octopus arms. Tetsuya shadowed his childhood friend as Ogiwara led them a hallway down from the other locker rooms, similar to the locker rooms in Seirin.

“Are you the only Omega on the team, Ogiwara-chan?” Furihata questioned amicably.

Ogiwara shook his head. “There’re some who’re in the third and second string, but only two in the first string. I’m the only Omega that’s a regular.”

Comfortable silence descended around them save for the rustle of Furihata’s clothing as he changed.

“Say, Tet-chan,” Ogiwara said, “Why won’t you let Kise-kun see you?”

“Kise-kun would inform the others in my pack of the school I’m attending,” Tetsuya explained. “I do not wish for Akashi-kun to be aware of the high school I’m in.”

“Why not?” Ogiwara questioned with a puzzled look.

Tetsuya’s mind drifted as he thought of his reasons. “Originally, before I was injured,” Tetsuya explained, “I thought that I would show the Generation of Miracles the errors of their ways before they realized the monsters they’d become. I still have that goal in mind but, right now, I want to see if I can survive on my own.”

“Without your pack?” Furihata whispered.

Tetsuya nodded. “Without my pack.”

 _And my Alpha_.

Once Furihata is changed, Ogiwara led them back to the court. Tetsuya blinked, seeing a broken hoop in a bewildered Kagami’s hand. “I broke it,” Kagami was saying, almost hysterically, to a snickering Koganei. “I fucking broke it!”

“Language!” Hyūga scolded, rolling his eyes.

Tetsuya and Furihata drift towards Aida and the bench where the other first years, except for Kagami, are sitting. Aida noticed Tetsuya’s presence and gave him a wide beam, though he could see the worry in her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Aida-san?” Tetsuya questioned softly. Kise was on the bench for Kaijō, and Tetsuya didn’t wish for the blond to overhear him speak.

“The stats for Kaijō are incredible even with their clothes on,” Aida murmured, looking slightly frustrated.

“Have trust in the team, coach,” Tetsuya said, giving the second year a small smile. “Even if we lose, we’ll be learning something new.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Aida said.

“Huh,” Kagami said, bringing the hoop up to his face. “Looks like we’re going to need to use the full court now.”

Coach Takeuchi was pissed. “Kise! Get over here!”

Once the other half of the gym was swept and cleaned, Kise Ryōta entered the court. It caused a reaction through Aida, who gasped. “He’s a monster,” she said in a strangled voice, eyes widening as she looked at his stats with her vision.

The match resumed.

Surprisingly, Seirin was keeping up with Kaijō but three minutes into the first quarter, Aida decided to call a time out once Tetsuya pointed out that the pace the team was going at was taxing on their bodies, as well as the fact that Kagami was getting more and more heated, which would spur Kise on to showing more power in which the match would be decided by then.

Steamed, Kagami sat on the bench as everyone strategized about how to stop Kaijō. Sensing that the other teen was still steaming, Tetsuya took off the wristband he got from Ogiwara’s ex-captain in Meikō and swatted it at Kagami’s face. His teammates sent him alarmed looks as Kagami shrieked from surprise.

“Oi, oi, what the hell was that all about!?” Kagami shouted.

Tetsuya blinked. “Kagami-kun needs to calm down or else you won’t have a chance against Kise-kun.”

The second years shared a look and Koganei asked, “Why would Kagami need to calm down?”

“If Kagami-kun gets too angry and keeps challenging Kise-kun, then Kise-kun will answer with even more strength,” Tetsuya explained. “At that point, we will only be chasing after Kaijō, and the situation will get worse. Therefore, Kagami-kun must calm down now.”

The time out was over and the match resumed. Tetsuya watched their team in action, with Hyūga’s dependable three-pointers and such since, for some weird reason, he was in, what Izuki explained, Clutch Mode.

It was…odd, watching Kise play when he was on the opposite team. Tetsuya found himself zoning out as he observed the practice match.

_They’re in an empty classroom with the lowering sun casting low shadows over the room. Tetsuya’s ankle is bending in an almost impossible pose, his wrists look broken, he can feel his ribcage piercing his flesh, and the bone in his left arm shouldn’t be protruding out of his skin. But it was._

_Horror and agony taste bitter in his mouth as he’s curled up in himself on the floor. He can feel the thrum of the pack bonds floating in his veins, flickering in and out of focus. Akashi is amused, Midorima is frustrated, Kise seems to be exhausted, Aomine is furious, Momoi is annoyed but also smug, and Murasakibara is content._

_Standing above him is his attacker, grinning at him with sharp teeth meant for intimidation. The Alpha crouches down to his face, satisfaction glimmering in his orbs as he sees Tetsuya flinch and cower. The Alpha reaches out a hand and, almost lovingly, runs his fingers through Tetsuya’s hair._

_“Now, this will be our little secret, ne? You tell Akashi nothing of this, and I won’t kill you,” the Alpha says, threatening._

_Panic and terror wraps around his throat as he nods, agreeing with the words spilling out of his attackers’ mouth. The Alpha gives him a condescending smile and a, “Good boy. Such a good boy. Akashi’s taught you well, hasn’t he, Tetsuya?”_    

Tetsuya is pulled out of the memory by Aida speaking of a new strategy to use on Kaijō. The second quarter ended with a tie – the score being 45-45. Furihata gripped his hand and gathered his attention. “Tet-chan,” Furihata whispered, “Are you alright? You looked really out of it.”

“I’m fine,” Tetsuya said, even though it was apparent that he was anything but at the moment. “I’m okay, Kō-chan.”

He really, really wasn’t.

“Listen, juniors should show more respect to their senpais,” Hyūga muttered, glaring crossly at Kagami, who was shrinking underneath the glares.

Third quarter began with Kagami getting the tip off.

_“Kurokocchi!” squealed Kise once he entered the club room. Only his pack of six were in the room seeing as how practice was canceled for the week because of final exams. In Kise’s hands was a picture of a small, cute male Omega modeling a generic school sailor uniform. “Kurokocchi should model this for us!”_

_“Tetsu-chan would look so cute if he’d let me dress him up!” Momoi squealed after, making Aomine wince at the loud tone._

_Murasakibara was chewing some candy sticks, Midorima was polishing his lucky item which happened to be a shiny, pretty stone, and Akashi was playing Shogi by himself. No one in the pack save for Midorima and Tetsuya played against Akashi since it was a guaranteed loss on the opponents’ side._

_“Kise-kun is being unpleasant again,” was the blunt response from the only Omega in the pack._

_Kise wailed, “Kurokocchi is being mean!”_

_“Oi, Kise, shut up, would ya?” Aomine yelled, waving his magazine in the air. “I’m trying to look at Mai-chan!”_

_Glaring, Kise scowled, “Aominecchi is being Ahominecchi.”_

_Momoi glared at the taller, dark-skinned basketball plater. “Dai-chan, stop being such a hentai!”_

_Startled at getting attacked, Aomine spluttered, “Overbearing woman!”_

_“Go die, Dai-chan!”_

_“Tetsuya,” Akashi called, beckoning the bluenette. “Come here.”_

_“Hai, Akashi-kun,” Tetsuya said, drifting in the Alphas’ direction. He was nonplussed, though, when Akashi’s arm snaked around his waist and he was pulled gracefully into Akashi’s lap. This was normal. His pack members, they being Alphas and he the only Omega, would always need positive skin-to-skin contact in order for them as a pack to thrive. To make the position more comfortable, Tetsuya leaned his head underneath Akashi’s chin, observing him play against himself._

_For all of Akashi’s faults, Tetsuya knew that the redhead was a sweetheart underneath his coiled skin. Akashi would only show gentleness to Tetsuya, and it was this gentleness that Tetsuya treasured. It showed_ _—_

“Kise! The ball!”

“Kuroko!”

“Look out!”

“Kuroko-chan!”

“TET-CHAN, WATCH OUT!!”

Tetsuya could only blink at the sight of a basketball barreling towards him. Through instinct and years of practice, Tetsuya was able to Ignite Pass the ball towards the court and directly into Kise’s outstretched hand. The sound of the ball slapping against Kise’s palm ricocheted throughout the gym. Silence rang until someone broke it by shrieking, _“The hell was that!?”_

Exclamations rose from the court and the audience surrounding them until the sharp screech of a buzzer quieted them down. Tetsuya blinked, dazed, at the scoreboard which proudly displayed the numbers 86-85 in Seirin’s favor.

“We won?” Furihata murmured, dumbfounded. “When did that happen?”

Although an internal war raged inside of him, Kise was gawking at Tetsuya. “Kurokocchi!?” Kise yelped. “What are you—how’re you—you’re at _Seirin_?!”

“Yes, I am, Kise-kun,” Tetsuya replied in a stiff tone.

“Who’s that?” Kasamatsu asked in a gruff tone.

“Our manager, Kuroko Tetsuya,” Tsuchida said.

“How does Kise know him them?” Kasamatsu inquired.

“We were teammates,” Kise explained, his voice echoing in the now silent gym. “Kurokocchi is the Phantom Sixth Man of the Generation of Miracles. Kurokocchi, why are you a manager?”

With his impassive façade and monotone voice, Tetsuya replied, “I can’t play basketball anymore, Kise-kun.”

Kise looked as if he were about to speak, possibly interrogate his old teammate, but one of the referees blew through their whistle and said, “Enough chitchat, it’s time to line up! Seirin is the winner of the Kaijō-Seirin Practice Match!”

* * *

 

Later than night, as Tetsuya was cursing himself whilst wrapping his throbbing wrist, Kise was pressing send on a mass text to all of the other Generation of Miracles, Momoi included.

  _From: Kise_

_To: Akashicchi, Momoicchi, Midorimacchi, Murasakibaracchi, Aominecchi_

_Subj: I FOUND KUROKOCCHI_

_I FOUND KUROKOCCHI!! HE’S THE MANAGER OF SEIRIN HIGH’S BASKETBALL TEAM!! HE SAYS HE CAN’T PLAY BASKETBALL ANYMORE!!!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! The Generation of Miracles know where Tetsuya is! Hope you liked it! I apologize for any errors.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.
> 
> This is mostly a filler chapter, and I apologize for not updating. I was going through some writers’ block and I was swamped with exams and such. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“Tet-chan!” Furihata greeted that Saturday morning, waving cheerfully as he got out of his parents’ car. Furihata was wearing shorts and a pale blue shirt, looking more content and relaxed than Tetsuya had ever seen him. Furihata narrowed in on the small cast on Tetsuya’s left wrist and questioned, “What happened to your wrist, Tet-chan?”

“It’s nothing,” Tetsuya said, shouldering his bag once he locked up his front door. “Are those your parents taking us to the mall?”

Furihata shook his head, though he still looked worried. “It’s my onii-chan’s – Toshio and Hiroshi. Are you sure everything is alright, Tet-chan?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said as he began to walk down the steps of his front door. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Tet-chan,” Furihata said in a blunt voice. “You’re wearing our school uniform.”

Tetsuya blinked and looked at himself properly. He was, indeed, wearing the designated Omega uniform for Seirin. He carded his fingers through his hair using his uninjured wrist and closed his eyes, calmly breathing through his nose. He woke up all wrong that morning. His dreams were filled with the memories of his pack before they all changed, morphing into people he couldn’t recognize anymore.

“I apologize,” Tetsuya said in a soft voice. “However, I don’t feel like going back upstairs to change. I don’t mind the uniform.”

He really didn’t. He had already gotten used to the skirt he was required to wear. Still, though, he did miss pants.

“If you’re comfortable then it’s fine,” Furihata said, smiling. Tetsuya noticed, though, that there was a cold glint in his eyes. “However, you really should tell me the story of you acquiring that cast.”

Tetsuya didn’t respond and Furihata understood and grabbed his free hand, pulling him towards his older brothers’ car.

“Ah, so you’re Tet-chan?” greeted a teasing, deep baritone once Tetsuya had situated himself comfortably in the backseat. The one who greeted him first could have been mistaken for Furihata’s twin. “Nice to meet you. I’m Furihata Toshio,” Toshio jerked his thumb at the driver and grinned lopsidedly, “This idiot here is Hiroshi – don’t let his stoutness bother you. He’s a teddy bear at heart.”

As if to support his brothers’ claim, Hiroshi grunted and gave Tetsuya a brief glace.

“So can we go now?” Furihata questioned.

“Do you have a specific place you want to go to?” Hiroshi questioned in a deeper baritone that Toshio. It made Tetsuya shiver slightly. Furihata caught the shiver and gave his friend a knowing smirk.

“Not really,” Tetsuya replied.

Furihata shrugged. “So long as it has shops for Omegas, I don’t care. I just want to spend time with Tet-chan.” Furihata said before adding, “ _Alone_.”

“Not happening,” Furihata’s brothers said simultaneously.

Furihata scowled and drew himself up to argue, bristling almost like an irritated kitten. “And why not?” Furihata demanded. “Have you two never heard of the term _Omega Day_? There are only two Omegas in this car, and it isn’t you!”

Toshio heaved a sigh as if he had to deal with this all the time. Tetsuya supposed, with that determined glint in his best friends’ voice, that he did. “Kōki, you know very well why we’re not leaving you two by yourselves in public. There are a lot of perverts in public places—,”

“So scent-mark us!” Furihata cut his older brother off. “Simple.”

“It isn’t that simple,” Hiroshi said. “What if Kuroko-chan isn’t comfortable by being scent-marked by an Alpha he barely knows?”

“I don’t mind,” Tetsuya said, butting into the conversation. “I’m no stranger to someone outside of my pack scent-marking me.”

Toshio blinked at him, surprised. “You have a pack, Kuroko-chan?”

“Please call me Tet-chan,” Tetsuya told them as he nodded. “And yes, I do. They’re my old basketball teammates. We’ve been pack members for three years now, going on four this year.”

“Amazing,” Toshio whispered. “I was always too timid to start a pack in middle school, what with everyone flipping allegiances and all as they tried to figure out where they belonged.”

Hiroshi grumbled and grunted as if to make a nonverbal point.

As Furihata argued with his brothers over the merits of scent-marking them, Tetsuya’s phone buzzed with an incoming text from Takao.

 _Tet-chan!!!_ It read. _Hiro-chan and I wanna hang out with you and this Kō-chan!!! Please!!! We’re bored!! And Shin-chan is being a tsundere, and this blonde idiot named Kise is annoying me with his blubbering!!! Please, please, please, I will buy you something vanilla…_

Tetsuya poked Furihata’s shoulder, interrupting his tirade about overprotective family members. When his best friend gave him a dazed look, he said, “Takao-chan, and Ogiwara-chan, want to know if they can tag along to the shopping trip.”

“I don’t mind,” Furihata assured. “The more the merrier!”

Once Tetsuya wrangled the name of the shopping center they were going to, Tetsuya responded to Takao’s text.

“Seriously, though,” Furihata protested. It was a strange sight to Tetsuya – normally, his friend was timid and highly subservient to those around him that weren’t of the same Dynamic. To see him argue and hiss at his siblings was eye-opening to Tetsuya.

 _His family isn’t the cause of his discomfort and fear,_ Tetsuya noted silently, gladly erasing one irate fear of his ever since he met the brunet Omega.

“Alright,” Hiroshi said, something a tad more edgier spilling into his tone. “We’ll scent-mark you – but the minute you run into trouble, Kōki, you need to call one of us!”

Slightly trembling at the Command his brother pulled on his, Furihata gave a jerky nod. “Don’t worry. I will. I know the rules,” he promised.

Hiroshi pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center. “Good. We’ll be roaming around the mall, too. I need some new CDs.”

“I’ll be in the food court!” Toshio chirped.

Once the two Alphas reached for the backseat, Tetsuya forced his instinctive flinch down. It wouldn’t do to make anyone suspicious. He closed his eyes, feeling Hiroshi’s fingers card through his hair gently, feeling Toshio’s nose lightly nudge against his scent glands. The scent-marking wasn’t too strong nor was it too faint; other Alphas and Betas would understand that they were “spoken for” in a sense, and those who had morals would back off.

It’d been a while since Tetsuya had been scent-marked.

Last time he remembered, it was three days before the graduation ceremony, and Tetsuya was arguing with Aomine about walking home by himself after practice. The hotheaded Alpha refused that idea and, before Tetsuya could comprehend his motives, wrapped Tetsuya in his arms as he lathered his scent all over Tetsuya.

It took Tetsuya a month to get Aomine’s stench out of Teikō’s uniform.

Tetsuya and Furihata walked behind the two Alphas at a more sedate pace, arms looped together. “Where do you want to go first?” Furihata asked. “While we wait for Takao-chan and Ogiwara-chan to get here.”

Tetsuya pursed his lips in thought before he suggested, “The bookstore?”

“Sure,” Furihata nodded. Together, they made their way through the mall in search of a bookstore. There weren’t too many people around but Tetsuya slowly felt Furihata tensing whenever they passed by anyone of the other Dynamics. He still kept a cheery smile on his face as he chattered about a prank the triplets pulled that morning, but Tetsuya could see the cracks in his friends’ mask.

They entered a quiet bookstore, a relief from the cacophony of noise. A demure girl manning the cash register gave them a wave and soft smile, welcoming them inside. Tetsuya and Furihata drifted down the aisles of books, searching for any that caught their interest. Furihata discovered a book on the different cultures in Eastern Europe, and Tetsuya picked up a large novel centered on seventeenth century Japan.

Tetsuya sensed the arrival of Takao and Ogiwara before he noticed them—although, Furihata’s, “is that Kise Ryōta?” was a big giveaway of their entrance.

He sighed, turning, as he saw the blond and green hair of his ex-teammates. Kise Ryōta and Midorima Shintarō. Ogiwara and Takao were chatting with another vibrantly as they walked into the bookstore, conversing about the different genres of manga. Kise was shadowing Ogiwara, seemingly hanging onto every word that dripped out of the Omega’s mouth, and Midorima looked as if he could care less about the topic.

“Ah,” Tetsuya said as he came into their line of view. “Ogiwara-chan, Takao-chan, Kise-kun, Midorima-kun, hello. It is a pleasure seeing you again.”

“Tet-chan is so formal,” Takao giggled before spotting Furihata, who had shrunk behind Tetsuya at the sight of two taller, stronger Alphas. “And is this the infamous, Furihata-chan?”

“H-Hi,” Furihata squeaked.

Tetsuya gave his friend a concern glance. “Is Kō-chan okay?”

“I’m f-f-fine,” was the stuttered response.

“Hello there, Furihata-chan,” Midorima spoke with an indifferent look. “I am Midorima Shintarō,” then he jabbed a thumb in Kise’s direction. “This is Kise Ryōta. Pleasure to be of your acquaintance. By the way, Kuroko-chan,” Midorima said, turning to his aloof pack member. “Aquarius is #6 today, according to Oha-Asa, and it is advised that you stay away from any Scorpios. Your lucky item is a Japanese history novel.”

At that, in a fashion that just screeched Midorima, Tetsuya was handed a book similar to the one he’d picked up earlier through browsing. He blinked at the surprising present. “Thank you, Midorima-kun,” Tetsuya said, giving his pack member a brief, albeit small, smile. “I will treasure this lucky item.”

“Whatever,” Midorima mumbled. “I don’t really care if you heed my advice or not.”

Takao snorted. “Tsundere.”

“Anyway, what’s on the agenda today?” Ogiwara asked, sensing an impending fight between Midorima and Takao. Kise was gaping at Tetsuya like he was too shocked to speak. “Shopping?”

“Just walking around,” Tetsuya replied. “Kise-kun, is there a reason why you’re staring at me?”

“K-K-K-Kurokocchi,” Kise gawked. “Kurokocchi is wearing a skirt.”

Midorima blinked, now realizing what Tetsuya was wearing.

Takao grew confused. “What’s so weird about Tet-chan wearing a skirt?”

“They’ve never actually seen me wear a skirt in all the three years that I’ve known them,” Tetsuya explained. “Of course, Aomine-kun and Momoi-san joked about dressing me up into clothes that befit my Dynamic but I refused.”

Kise was still gaping and Midorima was silent. Tetsuya withheld a sigh; he’d forgotten how troublesome his pack members could be. Tetsuya turned to Furihata and asked, “Is there anywhere you wish to go?”

Furihata shook his head, shrinking into himself almost once he saw inquisitive eyes on his silhouette. “A-Anywhere is fine w-with me,” Furihata stammered.

“Let’s just walk around and go in the stores we find interesting,” Ogiwara suggested with a kind smile, successfully drawing attention away from Furihata.

They left the little bookstore and began walking aimlessly. It didn’t take too long for Kise and Midorima to get comfortable around the idea that Tetsuya was wearing a skirt, though Tetsuya thought he saw Kise sneaking in a few photos here and there, but conversations never strayed towards high school, the pack, or basketball. It was as if the Alphas knew that now wasn’t the time to converse such things.

After twenty minutes or so of walking around, Takao pulled all of them into a clothing store that catered towards Omegas of both sexes. _Colours_ was the name of the store – Tetsuya had shopped here a few times before. They had adorable sweaters.

“You two can wait outside,” Tetsuya told his pack-members, taking pity on their uncomfortable faces at the thought of going into the clothing store – Kise was more dismayed since he had a feeling he’d get mobbed by his fans. “Go find another store since I don’t know how long this’ll take.”

“Okay, Kurokocchi!” Kise grinned, leaning close into what Tetsuya would call his “personal bubble”. “Be safe, o—,”

Kise stopped mid-sentence. Tetsuya saw the blond’s eyes grow cold. “Kurokocchi,” Kise said, voice low and dangerous, threatening to send chills up his spine. Midorima was the only one who noticed and was peering at them, trying, and failing, to look uninterested. “Why do I smell two other Alphas on you?”

 


	7. Seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. All rights reserved to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for all of the feedback from last chapter! I apologize for taking so long with this chapter, and I’m sorry it’s so short.

“Can we discuss this later?” Tetsuya asked his two pack members. Creating a scene in the middle of a shopping center wasn’t something that Tetsuya desired. It’d get back to Akashi, which was something Tetsuya _definitely_ didn’t want to happen. “I do not wish to make a scene.”

Kise and Midorima narrowed their eyes at him. Through their pack bonds, the two Alphas were enraged, possessive, and indignant.

“Alright,” Midorima spoke, his voice much calmer than Kise’s. However, Tetsuya knew that Midorima’s words were carefully spoken and controlled; he could sense the ire that rolled off of the Alpha’s tongue. “Then you can tell us how you acquired that cast on your wrist.”

Kise furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. “What c—?” Kise stopped himself, eyes widening, as Tetsuya dutifully raised his left arm to be observed. Hatred and rage burned in Kise’s orbs. “Kurokocchi, who hurt you? Was it the Alphas I smell on you?”

“No,” Tetsuya denied, shifting his wrist from their line of sight. “I – injured myself. By complete accident, I assure you.”

It was the truth – the misguided truth, but the truth nonetheless. Technically, he did injure himself by passing to Kise during the practice match but it wasn’t an actual accident, per se. It was barely noon and Tetsuya was already wishing to go to bed. He could feel Furihata’s anxious gaze on his silhouette from the inside of the store, and can already hear Ogiwara gently pulling Furihata away, murmuring, “Tet-chan’s going to be fine, Kō-chan.”

“We’re worried about you, Kurokocchi,” Kise whispered, leaning down to press their foreheads together in a gesture that was intimate between pack members. “You just disappeared after you resigned from the club – and you’ve been ignoring our texts and calls, and you _disobeyed_ Akashicchi! This isn’t like you, especially since you’re a _manager_ of your new team instead of an actual player.”

Tetsuya closed his eyes as he breathed in the familiar scent of Kise – laced with a strong, burning fire and a hazy summer afternoon that mixed with the overall scent of _Alpha_ that Tetsuya wanted to burrow himself in for the rest of his days. He could feel their pack bond humming underneath his skin, brimming with Kise’s and Midorima’s emotions. Aomine, Murasakibara, Momoi, and Akashi were distant still but they were there.

“I’m sorry,” Tetsuya whispered.

That was all Tetsuya could say. He couldn’t let them know of the truth, he couldn’t let them know of his nightmares, he couldn’t let them know of the dark days that swallowed his third year of Teikō. He couldn’t even tell Ogiwara or Takao simply because his fear engulfed him whole. It refused to be shaken off and it trailed after his footsteps like a ghost, like a shadow, and no matter where Tetsuya went, where he ran, where he sat, the secret and fear would be a few steps behind him.

Even if he did have the courage to speak up, what could he say? How could he tell them? How could he make sure that his pack members didn’t become murderers the day after they learned of the darkness festering in his mind? Tetsuya refused to let his pack mates have blood on their hands, on their names. They all had too much to lose, and Tetsuya didn’t want them to ruin their futures due to one simple act of violence and revenge.

“It’s alright,” Midorima spoke. His body language spoke of the awkwardness he felt at the situation – and the fact that they were in the middle of a shopping center – and Tetsuya felt his lips twitch in resemblance of a small smile at the sight of Midorima’s familiar antics. “I won’t speak for the others but I won’t pry. You are entitled to your own secrets but do understand that we are here for you if and when you need us.”

“Aw,” Takao spoke from behind Tetsuya. “You do care, Shin-chan!”

Midorima growled but refused to speak another word.

Tetsuya watched in amusement as Takao began to poke and prod Midorima with a beaming grin on his lips and something unfathomable simmering in his orbs. Tetsuya untangled himself from Kise’s grasp and drifted towards Furihata and Ogiwara, who were all emptyhanded despite walking into the store to shop.

“Didn’t find anything?” Tetsuya asked.

Ogiwara shrugged and said, “Kō-chan was too nervous to do much except stare at you from the shop window.”

Tetsuya peered at Furihata, a questioning look in his orbs.

“Sorry,” Furihata murmured. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Kise, he – he looked angry.”

Something unfathomable crossed Furihata’s face. Tetsuya and Ogiwara shared a look; the unknown emotion hadn’t been missed by their orbs. “Do you want to go home, Kō-chan?” he questioned the brunet.

Furihata grew pensive before he whispered, “Yeah. I wanna go home now.”

_He can hear six other people breathing the same air as he. They were all piled together in Kise’s bedroom, lying on futons, surrounded by one another, surrounded by pack. Kise was squished in-between Aomine and Momoi; Midorima’s legs were entangled with Murasakibara’s, whom seemed to make himself smaller when sleeping; and Tetsuya was lying against Akashi._

_Akashi’s arms wound around his waist, his breath warm against the back of Tetsuya’s neck. Tetsuya didn’t mind the lack of personal space. He was used to it, after all, ever since Murasakibara came to school an Alpha on Wednesday and the first thing the giant preteen did was scent-mark Tetsuya during third period, regardless of their teacher spluttering in the background._

_Tetsuya knew that he was the only one awake. It was nearing three in the morning but he couldn’t allow himself to slip into dreamland. Everything was changing direction too fast – Nijimura was leaving, Haizaki was getting bolder, more violent, and his pack members were morphing into people he didn’t recognize anymore. They were evolving at a fast rate – a rate that Tetsuya can’t keep up with. He despises being left behind, trailing after specks of dust in the wakes of their trails, but what else could Tetsuya do except stand there and watch as his world crumbles at his feet?_

_He didn’t want to leave his pack members. He didn’t want their family to fall in shambles. But Tetsuya didn’t know who these people were anymore. No one except for Momoi was the same – and Momoi was shifting too, becoming stronger and possessive than what was normal for her. All of them were increasingly possessive when he was concerned._

_Just yesterday, Momoi nearly clawed another Alpha’s face off for talking to him. Murasakibara lumbers over him in the hallways, threatening to crush anyone that dares to steal him away, and all Akashi has to do is smile that smile that drips whispered threats and promises of misery in order for the Alpha in question to get a clue and leave him alone. Midorima shows his possessiveness by showering Tetsuya in his scent and lucky items – though there was a time when he threw his lucky item at an Alpha that got “too close” to him during basketball practice._

_Tetsuya dreads the day when Aomine and Kise become Alphas – he doesn’t hope for a Beta Dynamic for either of them. Even without a primary gender, they displayed Alpha characteristics as though it were their birthright._

_He doesn’t understand why they act as though he belongs to all of them. Yes, they were pack but they weren’t his Alphas. Tetsuya only had one Alpha, and it was_ _—_

_“What is troubling you, Tetsuya?” Akashi questioned softly, pulling him out of his mental tirade._

_Tetsuya blinked, turning his head to face the Alpha. “I apologize for waking you, Akashi-kun.”_

_“You didn’t wake me,” Akashi murmured. His lips made Tetsuya’s skin tingle. “You’re just thinking too loudly.”_

_A soft smile stretched Tetsuya’s lips. The Alpha would only allow Tetsuya to see him in such a state of weakness, and Tetsuya found an unguarded Akashi to be utterly adorable. “I apologize,” Tetsuya whispered, resting his head against Akashi’s chest. The Alpha kissed the crown of his head and murmured, “Go to sleep, Tetsuya.”_

_Tetsuya didn’t respond. He was already allowing the thump of Akashi’s heartbeat lull him into a dreamless sleep._

Tetsuya entered his home quietly, blinking in surprise at the sight of another pair of shoes in front of the door. He stared, confused, until he remembered that his father had arrived home early in the morning. After announcing his presence – not like his father would hear him – Tetsuya made his way to his bedroom to change into more comfortable clothing.

Although he was exhausted by his interaction with his two pack members, Tetsuya grabbed some charcoal and one of his numerous sketchbooks. He flipped it open to a clear, clean page and made himself comfortable on his bed as he allowed his hands to move without thinking about what to draw. He hadn’t allowed himself the time nor the peace to draw for he was too wrapped up in his manager duties and hiding his secrets from his pack members.

 Thirty minutes into drawing, Tetsuya forced himself to stop. His fingers were trembling and something inside of him ached. He wasn’t going into heat – it was much too early for that – but he was puzzled as to why he felt like he was about to crumble in the next minute. He could hear his father rummaging around in the kitchen, and the scent of food wafted into his room.

Tetsuya curled into a ball on his bed and stared at his ceiling, at the pictures of those he held close. When did everything change? Why did it change? Why was he left behind? Why did he allow himself to get left behind? Why did his pack resemble monsters on and off the court? Tetsuya sniffled as tears slowly slid down his face.

Was it even possible for him to bring back the people that he loved?

 


	8. Eight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kuroko no Basket | The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays. KnB belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Akashi enters the story!! I'm sorry it's so short but I'm really exhausted at the moment.

Tetsuya breathed in deeply as he stared at himself in the mirror. Now, he wasn’t vain by any means but certain members of his pack demanded that he looked the best that he could, insisting that it mattered, that he was representing their pack by the way he dressed. He could don a skirt or something “Omega-like” but he was going to be doing stretches and physiotherapy. Tetsuya didn’t feel like giving the other patients a show.

He had enough of their leering regardless.

Tetsuya sighed, observing his wardrobe choices once more. He wore comfortable jeggings and a not-too-big-but-not-too-small shirt. He fixed his wristbands, grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys, and made his way downstairs. His father was in the kitchen, chewing on the leftover pie from his sleepover with Takao and Ogiwara.

He should ask if they wished to do it again and – hopefully – Furihata would be able to join.

His father peered at him over the pie. “Where are you going?”

“To physiotherapy with Akashi-kun,” Tetsuya told him, blinking blank eyes in his direction.

“Therapy?” his father frowned briefly, before the confusion was wiped from his face and he said, “Oh, right. You were attacked.”

“I was,” Tetsuya murmured, grabbing an apple to munch on during the train ride. He never had much of an appetite. “I’ll be home before dark.”

“Mmm,” his father responded, immersed in his phone. “I’ll be flying out to the flat in Ireland in a few days.”

Tetsuya wasn’t surprised and said, “Have a safe trip, father,” before he slipped on his shoes and left his home that was more like a house to him. His footsteps were light as he made his way towards the Maji Burger, which is where Akashi had told him to wait thirty minutes before his appointment began. Tetsuya hoped Akashi had already moved himself to Tokyo temporarily, seeing as how it was a long and grueling train ride from Kyoto.

He slipped inside Maji Burger and, once he managed to flag the cashier’s attention five minutes later, bought a small milkshake and a small case of fries. He was a little hungry and he knew Akashi would be upset with him if he admitted to only consuming an apple that morning. Of course, fries and a milkshake wasn’t an ideal breakfast but at least it was something.

His phone buzzed with texts from Takao (Shūtoku was having practice, and Midorima’s lucky item was a giant stuffed, purple-and-green giraffe. _Where does he even find these things?!?_ Takao had texted), from Ogiwara (Kise had pulled him out of his house for “bonding” and they were going shopping. _Kise is really enthusiastic about skirts. He keeps questioning me about your size, Tet-chan,_ was what Ogiwara thumbed. _I can’t decide if it’s endearing or concerning._ ), and from Furihata, who had been dragged out of his bed to stalk his little brother, Tomoko, whom had received a confession a few days earlier and was now going on a date with said Alpha ( _Honestly, I was quite comfy in my bed,_ Furihata complained. _I hope Tomo-chan scolds them for this!_ ).

Quietly, Tetsuya ate his meagre breakfast and awaited the entrance of the Leader of his pack – Akashi Seijūrō. His stomach was churning in all sorts of direction. He was a ball of frazzled nerves, though he’d never show it outwardly. His mind buzzed with worrying thoughts and what-ifs.

W _hat if Akashi-kun tells me to transfer to Rakuzan? What if Akashi-kun disapproves of Seirin? What if Akashi-kun interrogates me about why I left? What if he asks me about the attack?_ Were some of the few thoughts scurrying in his mind.

Maji Burger was peaceful seeing as how not many people were up and about on an early Saturday morning. There was a light stream of customers exiting and entering, and one of the bus-boys had fallen asleep in his tray of dirty dishes. Tetsuya was certain that it wasn’t sanitary. His phone pinged with a text alert – it was, surprisingly, from Murasakibara.

 _Kuro-chin,_ the purple-haired Alpha wrote. _I can feel your sadness all the way in Akita. Kuro-chin should tell Aka-chin why he’s so sad all the time. I don’t like it when Kuro-chin is sad. It makes me sad. And when I’m sad, I can’t eat. I should give Kuro-chin some vanilla snacks when I visit Tokyo, that’ll make Kuro-chin happy. Ne?_

Tetsuya blinked at the long text. It was surprising since, for the most part, Murasakibara was very lethargic and did the least amount possible in anything. Just as he’d opened up a new text to respond, he froze as a familiar scent purposefully invaded the fast-food restaurant. Customers that were sitting at the many tables straightened to attention, and the bus-boy had even blinked himself awake by the scent along.

Tetsuya looked up to see Akashi Seijūrō strolling in his direction with a powerful, alluring gait. The Alpha, whilst only a few inches taller than Tetsuya, seemed tall as he walked towards hm. He wore tasteful, elegantly casual clothing that seemed like it belonged in a high-class restaurant than a fast-food joint that didn’t understand what a sanitary bathroom was.

Akashi gave him a smile that lit up his face. Tetsuya knew that smile very well – it was often the smile Akashi directed at him, and only him. “Tetsuya,” Akashi greeted amiably. There was a subtle domineering tone underneath the redheads’ tongue but that had always been there ever since that one-on-one match with Murasakibara in their second year.

Tetsuya remembered that year almost hauntingly well.

“Akashi-kun,” he murmured before taking another languid sip of his favorite milkshake.

With fluid grace, Akashi slipped into the empty seat across him and frowned. “Why are you drinking a milkshake for breakfast, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya blinked. “Because this milkshake is a part of my breakfast.”

The Alpha’s frown deepened and Tetsuya studiously ignored how his scent dived towards the sternly disapproving route. His phone pinged, but Tetsuya didn’t bother to look at it. Akashi would have nothing less than his undivided attention. Peering at his ex-captain’s heterochromatic red-and-gold orbs makes Tetsuya yearn for the days when they were both gleaming red.

As usual, Akashi begins the conversation. “And how is Seirin treating you?” the Alpha inquires, his tone pleasingly polite but Tetsuya knew the teen was digging for information with saccharine coated words.

“Quite well,” Tetsuya responded, purposefully omitting the part with those uncultured upperclassmen, and the presence of Takada Yoshihisa, who wasn’t leaving him alone (and simultaneously, unknowingly, terrorizing Furihata with said presence). “And how is Rakuzan treating Akashi-kun?”

“Wonderful,” Akashi replied, his eyes never leaving Tetsuya’s. “My teammates wished to met you. It took a while but I managed to get Kotaro and Reo to cease their whines. We’ll have to arrange a day where you visit Kyoto.”

Tetsuya hummed and took another sip. He was drinking this beverage slowly, savoring it’s taste, because it helped him ignore the way his thoughts buzzed, the way his heart thumped, and how that bus-boy was still falling asleep in the dirty dishes. Poor thing must’ve had a really rough night.

“Tetsuya,” Akashi called, grabbing his attention. “What did you eat for breakfast, again?”

Tetsuya can feel his stomach sinking underneath the ground but, still, nonetheless, he replied, “An apple, some fries, and this milkshake.”

Akashi raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Tetsuya took another mouthful of his milkshake to hide the fact that his lips were quivering. He can sense the change in Akashi’s scent, the way it subtly turned darker, more sour, more displeased. Tetsuya resisted the urge to whine once he caught a whiff of the discontent swirling through Akashi’s natural scent, the Omega in him understanding that Akashi was pissed off at him.

“And what of the meal plan Satsuki and I devised?” Akashi chose to ask. His face was deliberately blank. Tetsuya took another mouthful and mourned for when it would finish. He’s surprised there’s still some milkshake in the cup. “Have you been following the regimen?”

Well.

Tetsuya had two options presented in front of him. He could lie to the Alpha but that was a moot point seeing as how Akashi _knows_ when he’s being lied to, and it would make him even more pissed off, or he could tell the truth and wait for the fireworks to erupt in a haze of harmless fire. However, seeing as how this is Akashi, there was nothing harmless about it.

Tetsuya blinked, cursed his existence, cursed his therapy, cursed practically everyone he knew in his mind, and said, “No, Akashi-kun. I have not been following the meal plan.”

“Pray tell, why not?”

“It is too tiring to make, and I can’t finish it. It’s too much food.”

“I see,” Akashi murmured, peering at him with half-lidded, flashing eyes and a scent that was making a girl three seats away try to make herself one with the wall. Tetsuya couldn’t resist the soft whine rolling off of his tongue and the subtle way he bared his neck to the Alpha. As if realizing what his scent was doing, Akashi reeled it in. He then motioned to Tetsuya’s milkshake and questioned, “Are you finished with that, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya nodded. “I am, Akashi-kun. Shall we be going?”

“We shall,” Akashi said, nodding his head.

Tetsuya got to his feet, collected his trash, and threw it away in the nearest garbage can before following Akashi out of the restaurant. The sun glistened in the blue sky and there was a steady stream of people moving about the street.

“Dr. Hinata’s office is within walking distance, yes?” Akashi asked as they began to move amongst the crowd. Akashi’s fingers entwined around Tetsuya’s. It was a familiar gesture, to make sure he couldn’t slip away unnoticed due to his low presence and misdirection (it caused the Great Panic of December when Kise and Aomine lost him in a mall, causing them to overreact in which they contacted all of the first string members, Nijimura, their families, and Kise dialed an emergency hotline number. No one seemed to realize that Tetsuya was idly reading a new novel inside of a toasty warm bookstore a few feet away from the two basketball players).

“It is, Akashi-kun,” Tetsuya replied though they both knew that Akashi had known this already. “It is a short fifteen-minute walk.”

They walked in comfortable silence, though Tetsuya was a little tense if only because he was worrying over what Akashi would do, say, think, etc. because he disobeyed the Alpha, ran away from the pack, and kept a huge secret from them. It wasn’t that Tetsuya was terrified of his attacker (lie – he was petrified of the teen) but – well –

_“This will be our little secret, ne? You tell Akashi nothing of this, and I won’t kill you.”_

Tetsuya hoped that the darkness of his past would stay in the past, for his sanity as well as the others.

He also hoped that the obnoxious, leering Alphas (and some Betas) that had scheduled appointments during his allotted time wouldn’t be perverse because Tetsuya knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold Akashi back.

 


End file.
